Zatch Bell Fan Fiction ❯ Liar ❯ Chapter 1

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Lies

A Konjiki No Gash Bell (Zatch Bell) fan fiction

No copyright infringement intended, these characters don't belong to me. This fic does belong to me!

A/N: As with all my stories, this fic deals with mature themes. To say more would spoil the ending. Proceed at your own risk.

Lies

Sherry liked it when Brago relaxed. It gave her an opportunity to closely observe him, something he didn't tolerate easily when he became aware of her scrutiny.

Right now he was stretched out next to her, eyes closed and his arms folded behind his head. His chest rose in a slow rhythm, but Sherry knew he wasn't asleep.

This was a rare moment indeed, she thought. Most of their time was spent training and searching for new opponents. Brago's fight for the crown had become a way of life for them. But right now it was easy to forget the battles raging on all over the world. Soon enough they would participate in the fights, too.

"What?" Brago's voice roused her from her contemplations. His ruby glare met her cool blue eyes. "Nothing", Sherry said. Brago's irises contracted. I wonder if he's aware how his eyes reflect his feelings. Those luminous orbs truly were a window to his soul.

"What?" Brago repeated, his tone sharper this time. Sherry sighed. He would not be pleased with what she had to tell him. "I'm going to be busy for a few days." she said.
"Why?" he snapped. "You know we need to train." "Yes, but I have to take care of some things." This wasn't going well, she thought.

"What kind of things?" the mamodo insisted, irises dilating to the point of disappeance.
Sherry shrugged. "Nothing important. Just ...things." "Well, if it's nothing important, why do it at all?" Brago wasn't about to let her off the hook so easily.

She'd anticipated this reaction. He was very intolerant of anthing that wasn't directly involved with his quest to become the mamodo king. As usual, their conversation was about to turn into a fight.

"I know you have other plans, Brago, but I really need this time, ok?" "Really?" he asked sarcastically. "Just a moment ago you told me it was nothing important. Were you lying then or are you lying now?"

His selfish behavior infuriated her. "I am not lying!" Sherry snapped. "I am ....look, you can take a few days off, too. Go into the woods and kill something, I don't care. When you get back we can pick up where we left off, ok?"

Silently Brago got off the bed they'd shared. The long curved claws on his toes clicked on the smooth floor as he began to gather up his clothing. He threw the furry cloak over his shoulder and strode towards the door. "This is no way to make me king, you know!" he hissed and walked out.

Sherry tossed a pillow at the spot where the demon had stood just a moment earlier.
Could there be a more selfish and arrogant creature in the universe?

Becoming lovers had not mellowed him out in the least, not that she'd seriously expected such a change. The progression in their relationship had been a natural one, they'd gone from reluctant partners to allies and now they slept together. Everything else remained the same: the bickering and the frequent arguments had not diminished at all. Only on the battlefield were they able to communicate without words. Whenever they opened their mouths to speak, trouble was soon underway.

But why should anything have changed, she wondered. Regardless of the sleeping arrangements they still had their own unique personalities. Brago was still obsessed with becoming king, his laser focus hadn't shifted in the least.

Her priorities had changed, however. The defeat of Zophise had freed Coco from the evil influence of the mamodo. Now all of Sherry's energy was concentrated on fulfilling her promise to Brago. Her life was completely consumed with this quest. She took her promises very seriously and Brago's insinuation that she did not enraged her - after all she'd gone through for him!

But this was no time for recriminations, she reminded herself. Time was of the essence and she was already late.

Ch. 2

Brago cast a venomous glance in the direction of the road. The limousine had just sped by with Sherry in the back seat. She had not noticed him standing at the edge of the forest. Or maybe she'd ignored him, Brago didn't care either way. Since she hadn't bothered to share her secrets with him he wasn't about to try and find out what exactly was going on. It really wasn't that important to him anyways. But her lack of dedication annoyed him. The stupid human simply had no concept of the principles of warfare and combat. Now was the time to redouble their efforts and seek out new opponents. Why couldn't she understand this?

Sherry sighed. For some time she'd frantically tried to find a different solution to the problem, but only one realistic option kept coming up. Now that she'd made her decision she had to go through with it. It was for the best, she told herself. Once she stepped into the room ahead there would be no turning back. She gently knocked and reached for the door handle.

A few days later Brago returned from his jaunt in the woods only to find Sherry in bed. "Don't tell me you spent all this time sleeping?" he asked. "I know you tire easily, but this is ..." He didn't finish the sentence. The lights in the room were low, but on closer inspection she didn't look tired, she looked bad - really bad. Her hair was stringy, her face was puffy and her eyes were nearly as red as his. Something was seriously wrong here, and he was going to find out exactly what it was.

"You look like hell", he stated. "What happened?". "Thanks, I love you, too. " Sherry whispered. Brago blinked. "What did you say?""Nothing," Sherry replied. Just like a typical human I can't take five steps without collapsing." "This is your idea of a joke, I assume? I think you owe me an explanation!" The woman's confusing behavior was seriously annoying Brago.

You're right there, Sherry thought. I do owe you an explanation, but I can't tell you the truth, you aren't ready for it. It's better you never find out.

"I guess it's a flu, I've been sick ever since you left." Sherry said, turning away from his intense glare. Brago didn't reply. He'd never considered the possibility of her getting seriously ill. What if she didn't recover? His plans would be ruined.
He wasn't familiar enough with humans to know which diseases they were prey to but he was still suspicious of her explanation. More than likely she was lying again. But why? What was so awful that she couldn't tell him? Why didn't she trust him?

In situations like this he wasn't sure how to proceed. Clearly the woman was distressed, but she was at home and properly cared for, so what did she expect of him? "What do you want me to do?" he finally asked.

"Sit here for a moment" Sherry said and indicated a spot next to her. Brago gingerly sat down at the edge of the bed. Sherry looked at him for a while. Then she reached out and took his hand. Her skin was hot and moist compared to his. Next to his grey complexion her skin looked very pink. Her nails were short and carefully manicured, his were sharp black talons that extended far beyond his fingertips.

He shifted uncomfortably. How was this handholding supposed to help her get better, he wondered.

Sherry couldn't help but smile at his obvious discomfort. Why would a simple touch like this be difficult for him when he had no problem sleeping with her? She would never fully understand him.

But she had made the right decision after all. The fairy tales she'd read as a child had been right after all. The fates didn't smile upon those who took demon lovers. She wiped fresh tears from her eyes.

Neither she nor Brago were cut out to be parents, their basic nature made them unfit. Their occupation was fighting, not child rearing. I'm so sorry my little one, she thought. You never had a chance.