Chapter 4 - Yakune's End

Instead of bringing them right home, Sherry had Albert drive her and Brago to the park in the next town over. Sherry took a moment to look at the children playing there. Brago just crossed his arms and snorted.
“What are we doing here?” he asked. “I thought we were going to go home. If we’re not, the least we could do is search some more for the enemy.” He stopped for a moment and looked at Sherry, who was still observing the crowd. He decided that if he could not beat her, he might as well join her, and he scanned the playground.
Brago’s breath caught in his throat when he came across something slightly strange. There was a teenage girl sitting on one of the benches reading a book. He eyed her and looked at her a little harder. Tanned skin. Brown hair. Brown eyes. A pink dress. It could not be. It was just impossible. How could another human look so much like Yakune?
The thoughts processed in Brago’s mind for a minute. Sure, she LOOKED like Yakune, but it was just not possible that she could BE Yakune. After all, Yakune was sent back to the Mamodo World. They had even watched her book burn up. Heck, they were the ones who CAUSED it to burn in the first place! It had to be a coincidence. Yeah. A complete coincidence. That was it.
But was that the final answer? Yakune was the Half-Breed Mamodo. That means, that while in the Mamodo World, she can transform back and forth between her forms as she pleased. And then it suddenly made sense. Brago gasped and held a hand over his mouth. Sherry looked his way.
“What did you see?” she asked. Brago froze and let his gaze linger on the girl in the park for another second. Then he turned to Sherry and scowled.
“Nothing,” he stated definitely. “I’m allowed to hate your race, you know.”
“Yes, I’m aware.”
“…Children are disgusting.”
Sherry remained silent for another minute before turning to leave the park. Brago hesitated and kept his gaze on the girl there. Was she Yakune? That question was answered when the girl turned to meet his gaze. She was curious for a moment but then smiled and waved somewhat. She did not speak though, so the only thing Brago could do was lamely lift a hand and slightly wave back. Before he knew it, a group of children had gathered around him.
“That’s such a cool costume!”
“But it’s not Halloween yet.”
“Hey, Mister, why are you dressed like this?”
“Are you a cartoon character?”
“GAH!!!” Brago tried waving them off, but they kept coming closer and closer, wanting an answer. So he gave an awkward smile and ran in the opposite direction as fast as he could. The girl on the bench stood and tried calming the kids down.
“Now, now,” she began, “you shouldn’t go questioning people like that. It’s very rude really. So don’t worry about that man, and go play please.” She was trying her best to be reasonable. The disappointed children resumed their afternoon playtime, and the girl gave a relieved sort of sigh. She turned in the direction in which Brago ran.
“Sorry…Brago…” she mumbled. “I can’t…stand to stay one more day in the Mamodo World. It was…too hard. I hope…you and Sherry…can understand why…I needed to come back here.”
Yakune rubbed away some of the tears that threatened to pour down her cheeks. She pouted for a second and then turned back towards her bench. She picked up her book and studied it. She was back on the Earth, and she had disguised her spell book to look like just a normal novel.
“If I burn it up,” she mumbled to herself, “I’ll just be sent back to the Mamodo World. I could never do that. Not again…” She hugged the book close to her and rested her shaky legs on the bench. “I hate this book. I hate my existence.”

It was nightfall by the time Yakune awoke. She had not realized that she had fallen asleep, and it was pitch black by the time she awoke. Rubbing her eyes, she stood and picked up her book. She opened it to the first page and looked at the scrambled lettering. Good. It was not glowing or a different color. That meant no one had touched it while she slept.
As Yakune walked down the dark streets of the city, she began thinking back to her time in the Mamodo World. Unknown to most, she had visited the Earth hundreds of times by her own free will. And every time, someone had managed to find her book. And then in one way or another, it would get burned. Of course, there were many times between this fight and the fight one thousand years ago where there were no other mamodos to fight. But the people who became her human partners were bad, wanting to cheat others with her powers. She could not help but think that Suzie was the same way.
But was there something else that had come out of her most recent trip to Earth? Sure, she was stuck in another battle with a so-called evil human to cause chaos among innocent people. But when she put all that aside, Yakune began to think that she had gained something. After all, she could hear Zatch scream at Brago, even after she left. He kept repeating how he wanted her back with them on the Earth. Did that mean Yakune and Zatch were friends? Why had Zatch not remembered that she was the Half-Breed Mamodo? It was a pretty widely known fact.
And that was when it hit her. Yakune was finally beginning to be slightly more optimistic when she remembered all the torture of the Mamodo World. The other mamodo children had always made fun of her. Their families did not allow them to play with her for some stupid fear. And Brago was the worst of them all. He would use his attacks for the battles on her. Sure, Brago was definitely a bully, but even the other mamodo children thought he would take things too far when it came to Yakune.
The tears started to build up again. Yakune slapped her palm over her mouth and mumbled something into the skin. Her pace slowed a little, and she found herself taking baby steps into the next town over.
“I can’t stay here now that I know Brago is here,” she whispered. “I need to go somewhere.” She pushed back some brown hair, straightened her dress, and quickened her pace. If she hurried, she could finish her to-do list before the airport closed.

When Yakune made it to the next town over, she began scanning each of the homes to find the specific ones. The first one she found was the last place she wanted to go. She bit he lip and forced herself to climb the tree near the window. She peeked through the glass to find a room with fruit lying all across the floor.
Slowly, Yakune reached out to open the window. She let the lock click for a second, and she pushed the glass out so she could hop down on to the floor. Suzie did not stir in her futon. She simply let out a little huff and rolled over.
Yakune sat there for a while, just staring at the person who had once controlled her powers. She would look at the spell book every now and then to make sure it was not glowing. When she finally had her fill of just looking, Yakune leaned over and whispered something into Suzie’s ear.
“I’m so sorry, I couldn’t do what you wanted,” she whispered, being as sincere as possible. “I wish…I could have been a better mamodo to you. I wish…I could be strong…like Zatch. But…I knew from the moment I met the two of them that it wouldn’t work out.” She paused for a second but then continued. “I love Zatch. I love Kiyo. I care for them both so much. And if I were a regular mamodo, it would work. But…” She stopped and held herself to keep from shivering. “But I love Kiyo with all my heart. Same with Zatch! So…I could never…stay as your partner. I’m sorry, Suzie Mizuno. I hope…everything works out with you and Kiyo.”
Yakune sat for a few more seconds. Then she stood up, climbed out on to the tree branch, and locked the window behind her. That had been painful. That had been one of the worst things she ever had to face. But it needed to be done. Yakune sucked in some cool night air and slithered down the tree.
The next house Yakune came to was a very familiar one indeed. She could see Kiyo’s window from the sidewalk, so she climbed up the tree closest to it. She repeated the steps she had taken when going to Suzie’s, and she found Kiyo Takamine and Zatch Bell sleeping in their futons.
Yakune did not know who to go to first. She loved them both so much. But who did she love more? It hurt when she finally admitted it, but she had to confess. If she did not, it would haunt her for the rest of her life.
She leaned over Kiyo’s ear and murmured, “Kiyo, I love you. I…love you with all my heart. I wish I could have been born a normal girl. Then…the two of us could have been together, but I guess it was just not meant to be.” She looked over at Zatch, who was still sleeping like a baby, and continued when she looked back at Kiyo’s pleasant, sleeping face. “You were so nice to me. You were the first person ever in my life to show me kindness. Thank you, Kiyo. I was starting to think I’d live my entire life without knowing that feeling.” She gently kissed him on his forehead and turned to Zatch.
Yakune was about to say something when she heard something she was not expecting. “Yakune…” Zatch mumbled in his sleep, “…come back. Please….come…back. Brago…make…her…come…back…” He soon drifted back into a complete sleep, but his words stayed with Yakune. He was dreaming about the battle earlier that day. That horrible nightmare was repeating in his head. It suddenly made Yakune feel guilty.
“You are…my friend…Zatch,” she softly replied. “Thank you….for forgetting…that I’m the Half-Breed Mamodo.” She kissed him on his forehead and wiggled her way back down the tree.
Now the half-breed had two options. She could continue with her plan and sneak out of Japan. Or…she could do the right thing…and then sneak out of Japan. What had bothered her the most about seeing Brago that day was finding out he had been matched with Sherry. It would be a recipe for disaster if she did not warn him. So Yakune stretched her legs and ran down to the giant mansion.

When Yakune made it down to the mansion, she took extra care in camouflaging herself the best she could to avoid being caught by the guards. She was able to sneak past the two at the front doorway and make it around to the side, where a diamond-shaped fence covered in flowers stood. Okay, this would be a little harder than the trees. At least with trees, the branches were sturdy and made little noise. And if they did make noise, most would assume it was the wind. Fences were not exactly supposed to creak for no reason.
Regardless of the risks, Yakune slowly climbed the fence and made her way into the mansion. She tiptoed down the corridors (getting lost a few times) and eventually found Sherry’s bedroom. The door had been left slightly ajar, so Yakune could see Sherry sleeping in her bed.
Yakune did not know what hit her at that moment, but it hurt her heart so bad. She did not have the guts to walk into Sherry’s room and say good-bye.
As soon as Yakune was about to leave, she felt a thrust on her arm. Someone grabbed her wrist and slapped his other hand over her mouth. The person held her there like that and whispered harshly in her ear, “What are you doing here, Half-Breed?” Brago tightened his grip on her body, constricting her to double over while mumbling into the rotten-smelling flesh of his hand.
Brago turned Yakune towards him and slowly let his hand drop from her face. He could see the desperation in Yakune’s eyes, and it almost made him choke on his tongue. It was just a good thing Yakune did the first of the talking.
“I was just saying good-bye to Sherry,” she replied, doing her best to keep her voice down. Brago eyed her for a minute and crossed his arms.
“What do you mean by that?” he snapped back. “Are you planning on ‘accidentally’ burning your own book so you can go back to the Mamodo World? What good will it do you? You’ll just end up getting so depressed there that you come back her and ruin everyone’s lives all over again.” Those were the same type of cold, harsh words that he had constantly dumped on her in the Mamodo World. Regardless, Yakune kept her cool and shook her head.
“I’m just going to travel,” she explained. “I’m going to get on a plane and go somewhere where no one knows my name. Somewhere where there are no mamodos. I want to pretend that my miserable life never happened. I just want to be reborn.”
Brago cocked an eyebrow. “Where will you go?” he asked, his voice getting somewhat softer. Yakune shrugged.
“I don’t know. Somewhere.”
“Do you have money?”
“Some. I’m going to sneak on a plane.”
“What about living?”
“I don’t know, okay? I just need to get out of here.” She stopped for a minute and looked at Brago. His expression was less angry and more neutral. That was a look of his Yakune had never seen before. It was almost as if he was…sorry for her. “I need to go. The airport closes soon. But before I do, I need to warn you about something, Brago.”
“Warn me?” Brago repeated. “What on earth could you possibly need to warn me about?”
Yakune bent down so she was the same height as the mamodo. She leaned over to him and whispered a bit of advice in his ear. “You can’t care how cute she is. You can’t even consider her as a possibility. Unless you want another Half-Breed Mamodo like me, DON’T fall in love with her, Brago. It’s not right. You’re a mamodo, and Sherry is a human, so DO NOT fall in love with her.”
Brago stumbled backwards and stared at Yakune, flustered. He lifted a hand and pointed a shaky finger at her. “I would never!” he cried. “That’s disgusting! There’s NO WAY I’d EVER fall in love with a pathetic human like Sherry! Okay, so she’s my book owner, but she’s just a stupid human I need to become king!” He stopped for a second to hate the smirk on Yakune’s face.
“I think you think about her a little bit MORE than that,” she hinted. She stood up straight, turned, and began walking down the corridors to find her way out of the mansion. She only stopped for a moment to turn back and mouth something to Brago. Then she continued running to the window she left open.
Brago stared down the dark hallway for a few seconds and gritted his teeth. Why would Yakune mouth, “I forgive you” to him?

Yakune was on a plane for the rest of the night.
“I have no idea where this plane in headed,” she mumbled to herself as she sat in the luggage storage area. “I just hope…it’s not going somewhere in Japan. I need to get out of Japan. I don’t care where I go…as long as I can leave this country.”

When the plane finally landed, Yakune snuck off it without anyone noticing and ran out to the highway on the other side of the airport. The writing on the street signs was in a language completely foreign to her. Okay. That at least meant she was no longer in Japan. But where was she actually? Well, did it even really matter anymore? She was out of Japan and able to start a new life.
Or so she thought. Just moments after she ran out on the grass, she saw a blinding light coming her way. And that was the last thing she ever witnessed.

The next morning, Kanchome turned on the TV in Folgore’s dressing room and flipped a few channels before settling on the morning news. Folgore sat down next to him, and the two listened to the early morning report for the weather. Not that it mattered anyway. They were still going to have the concert if it was raining.
“And now for a sudden report,” the woman said. “Last night, the body of a young teenage girl was found on the highway near Italy’s National Airport. Police officials believe a car that apparently spun out of control on the roads and crashed off the side of the road struck her. No identification of the girl has been reported. The only clue left at the scene was a single book with strange lettering. Detectives are currently keeping the book under close watch for any clues.”
Kanchome stared at the TV slack-jawed. He could barely hang on to his morning breakfast (a chocolate bar) without shivering. Forlgore turned his attention to the mamodo.
“What’s the matter, Kanchome?” he asked. “You know the girl?”
“She’s Yakune!” Kanchome squealed. “She’s the Half-Breed Mamodo!!”

Brago’s eyes flashed open wide. He gasped and tried to feel out the energy in the air. Suddenly, one energy had gone missing. He calmed down after a second and mumbled, “She’s better off dead anyway. That pathetic creature’s miserable life was just a waste.”

Kiyo and Zatch awoke that morning and opened the window to greet the sunshiny day. Zatch smiled wide at the giant star, but Kiyo kept quiet for a little while. He brought his knees to his chest through the blankets and said, “Enjoy it while it lasts, Zatch. I think there’s going to be a storm today.”
“Oh, man!” Zatch pouted, sitting on the wood floor of the room. He turned to his other friend. “That means no going to the park today, Vulcan.” He sat like that and then suddenly turned to Kiyo with a random question. “Kiyo, do you think I’ll see Yakune again?”
Kiyo perked up. “Probably, Zatch,” he replied. “I think that once you’re king, you can command everyone to be nicer to her.” He got out of bed and walked to the window. He and Zatch stared up at the blue sky filled with wonder. Kiyo just smiled.
“Yeah…I know we’ll definitely see Yakune again.”

THE END

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