The Last Crusade Part: 02

A drop of rain fell on Jake's nose, he looked up. Heavy clouds had covered the sky. A little amount of sunlight was the only light that had allowed him to see where he was.

Some students passed by him, running and saying, "Hey, it's about to rain. The match won't occur today! Let's go in and play D&D!"

As they passed by Jake, they looked at him with pity and said, "Freak!"

Jake followed them, walking, admiring the architecture of the school and thinking what was that all about. He had never been to this school and these children were not his classmates. He entered the long hallway, looking at the classes and departments. As he went near the staircase, he noticed a few older students. Well, maybe they were the ones who always fail in the exams and remain in lower classes. These guys are usually good in athletics and games. And they usually have a leader.

In this scenario, the leader was a girl, a few years younger than h, who gave a mischievous look at him and said, "Look, boys! What've we got here today?"

"Hmm…let me see," one of them with long and curly hair said, "Looks very normal. But that ain't the case, right? It's a freak!"

"Yes! A FREAK!" the rest of them chorused.

"And we all know what we do to freaks, don't we?" the leader girl, with pimples on both sides of her face, and blonde hairs said, "We cure them of their illness."

"And the best way to cure this illness is a good beating!" a boy with a round tennis ball shaped red nose said.

"No, Dave! You are all brawns and no brains," the leader girl said, "This time, I'll teach her some lessons worth remembering!"

"Her?" the word hit Jake's mind, Oh, so I'm in Ada's memory now, ain't I?

"Let's see how everything turns out," he thought.

The scene changed. It was the gymnasium, everyone was changing to their games attire. He saw that he was before her locker. He opened it, and took her shoes.

He entered one foot, then was about to put the other, but a ratting sound came to his ears, slowly took the sneakers close to his eyes and suddenly a scorpion shot its tail at his eyes. He took his head back at the last moment. Then he took a pen from his locker and used it to get the scorpion out. It fell on the ground and quickly moved away from everyone who were looking at the incident.

Suddenly, the pen is his hand blasted and within a moment he discovered himself covered in ink. All his dresses, hand and face was stained. Everyone was laughing at him. But slowly their laughter started to blur.

Another voice ruined the silence, "You see, that's what we do to freaks."

He saw that the freckled girl was smiling at him. Something happened inside his head and he grinded his teeth, and the scorpion which was stepping away from there suddenly levitated away in the air and fell on her neck. Immediately it stung her and all the children screamed at once. They started running away. He kept sitting on the floor before her locker. Then a teacher came and said to him, "What have you done, you FREAK?"

The scene changed again. This time he was in a different place, the sky was changing color rapidly. There was a river, but it had almost no water at all. He walked towards the river and dipped his foot in the water. When he put up his foot, it was blood-red. The river was flowing blood.

Then he heard a howl. He looked and saw a hound like creature on the other side of the river, drinking the blood. Hearing his footsteps it looked at him. He's encountered with these creatures before, he identified it. Then it started to run away, and a voice started to say, Come find us! Come find us!

Then he started to follow them, through the woods. It was more like a graveyard, with human bones hanging from the trees. Skeletal hands coming out of the ground. Suddenly the way ended before the large door. After that he woke up.

So, it was a dream! Like a…memory inside of a memory, he thought. He found that he was before a basement door. Then he walked back to his room, shut the door and sat down with color pencils and paper.

Within a few moments, he could discover that he had drawn that monstrous hound in the paper.

"What's that?" a voice said, he looked and found that a young lady was looking at him. She had half rimmed glasses above her nose, must be a home tutor.

"Something I saw in my dream…" a girlish voice came out of his mouth.

"Oh," the teacher chuckled nervously and took her handbag. Then she went out of her room.

The scene changed again, this time she was before the basement door which was open and he saw a terrible scenery.

A horde of monsters were looking at him with bloodshot eyes in the darkness. As he set foot on the room, the doors closed behind him and a violet fire was lit in the braziers.

"Welcome, my daughter!" Frank came hovering in the air, "I've waited eons for this very moment."

"What moment?"

"The moment where I have a WORTHY successor," he said, "When I have someone else to rule this mortal land with."

"I'm not normal, am I?" Jake looked at his hands.

"No, you are not," Frank said, "In this skins, you are not strong, but lose these…shackles of moralities, and you are…FORMIDDABLE!"

Then he opened his palm and Jake could feel something happening inside him, he fell on the ground, groaning. Like all his insides were coming out, he could feel his nails getting longer, wings coming out of his back, his face getting longer.

"Rise, my daughter!" Mephisto said.

He stood up and screamed. All the hissing sound made by the other demons were silenced.

"Using your true powers, you can command this vast army at your very will," Mephisto showed him.

He tried to concentrate on moving these creatures, a hound looked at him with hate in its eyes.

"You are afraid," Mephisto said, "And the hound knows it."

"I'm not afraid," he concentrated harder and the hound started to growl at him.

"A simple sign of weakness, and it will attack you!"

So it did, it lounged at him with fangs bared. But then the anger burst inside his head and the hound fell on the ground, moaning like a regular dog. He stretched his hand at it, or to say, she did. And it started to wither faster, into dust. He was trying to say, "Don't do it! Don't do it!"

But she let go of a sigh and the hound finally vanished into smoke. He looked at Mephisto and saw fear in his eyes. That means he IS afraid of the thing she just did. But he immediately changed his frightened expression and said, "Very good demonstration of your powers, daughter! But to convince me to share my rule with you, something more needs to be done."

"What do you require?" a devilish sound came out of her vocal cords.

A projection cane in front of him, it was Murphy, "This man holds the secret to all our annihilation! Finish him off and return to me!"

No, don't do it! Jake tried to scream and it seemed like Mephisto heard it, "Who is this speaking?"

The scenery changed again, he was in a party right behind HIM. He remembered it, it was at the party where Murphy was killed.

"Alas, I thought I'd find our acquaintance more…interesting," he said and looked at the glass held in his hand, in the reflection, he could get a clear view of Ada's face and the similarity almost shocked him with a million volts. He almost thought that Ying was looking at him.

Then the dream world disappeared, and he found himself sitting at the floor of the chapel, Ada at a few feet away, gasping for breath and saying, "You dare enter my memory?"

He didn't waste time and took the double blades in his hand, he threw them at the strings. Ying started to fall on the ground. But he caught her in the mid-air.

"You selfish HAG!" he almost cried, "It was YOU all along? You…were her mother?"

"What?" Ada stopped growling and paused in her position, "You are lying! How could she…"

"Let my children have their feast," Mephisto spread his hands and with horrific squelching, demons started to advance towards them.

"NO!" Ada screamed and all the demons turned into smoke.

Ying's hand touched Jake. He looked at her and said, "Hey, old lady! You okay?"

"It'll be over soon," she smiled weakly.

"No, I won't let that happen," Jake firmly gripped her hand, "Now, I know…why you couldn't hurt her."

"Just die, woman!" Mephisto said.

"You may have used me," Ying said, "Just as you used your daughter, but a mother always remembers her duty to her daughter.

Ada started to morph into a human. She was already on her feet. Jake was surprised to see the evident similarity between the faces of mother and daughter, "You…are the mother of that story, right?"

Ying nodded.

"What story?" Ada asked desperately.

"You needn't hear unimportant things," suddenly Mephisto jabbed Ying with a long pole, which was his walking transfigured into a spear, "Just remember your duty to me."

"No!" Jake screamed and touched her wound, desperately trying to avoid the unavoidable, "Why did you DO that?"

Ada was speechless, she was confused in all this matters of the past. She slowly walked over to Ying's body and sat down, caressing her cheek, drops of tears rolling down her face.

"I'm sorry," Ying whimpered, "I couldn't be the mother you needed."

"No," she started sobbing.

"If only we had more time," Ying said, then took a breath, and looked at Jake, "I couldn't do it, because there's no way written in that book about how to turn a demon into a human, only how to kill a demon. But I couldn't do it because of my weakness."

"And that's why it's dangerous to us," Mephisto out up his hand, and the book appeared in his hand, "Surprised?" he asked Jake, "As soon as she started dying, its ownership returned to me," and now to destroy this" the book suddenly caught fire. All the demons started whispering in the chapel again.

"He thinks he won," Ying murmured, "I know all the secrets of that book."

Then she looked at Ada, "Don't listen to him. He's a liar. Make your own destiny…"

"It's true," Jake said, "He told you to kill us, as he told us, to kill you. It's because he's afraid of your powers."

She couldn't answer, she just looked at her hands. Then she looked at Mephisto with a killing glance.

"Well, now daughter," Mephisto laughed nervously, "You shan't listen to a stranger you never knew and suddenly demands to be your mother, don't you?"

She didn't pay heeds and screamed, causing all the glasses of the chapel o shatter along with the spectacles on Mephisto's nose.

"Wow, that's impressive," He out down the glasses, "But not enough to make me consider to give you what you demand!"

She lounged at him, and started to fight. But he was too strong.

"I need to help her," Jae was getting up, but Ying held his hand, "Only two demons…together can kill another demon."

"What?" he said, "But she's only one. How can she ever defeat him?"

"That's why she needs you," she put something in his hand, "Keep it safe. Use him wisely. It's more dangerous than you think…"

Jake saw that it was the amulet of Bill. In other circumstances he would feel a bit safe to have such a power, but now, Ying's condition was the thing that concerned him more.

Ada's scream made him look at her. She was groaning on the floor, Mephisto was walking on the roof hanging like a bat, "You have many things yet to learn."

"You lying piece of shit!" she wailed, "Why Didn't you tell me of her before?"

"You needn't learn of her," he was now hanging from the chandelier, "It'd remove your focus from your tasks."

She lounged at the chandelier, but he was very fast, he jumped from the chandelier and landed on a grave, "As you can see the results now. You can't defeat me even after having the potential to do so."

He clapped once and all the candles stared burning in purple color, the graves broke and demons started to rise from the grave.

Ying held Jake's hand, "Promise me, you'll save my daughter. She' is the only family I ever had besides you."

"I promise," he held her hand firmly. He was waiting to listen what more she says, but she didn't. Her eyes stopped moving, her heart stopped beating.

"Wait! I have so many things to say," Jake sobbed,  "How do I do it?"

A while passed. Then Ada's scream took him back to reality. She'd beem surrounded by dozens of demons.

"How do I do it?" Jake repeated.

"Hmm…had a real LONG nap!" Bill's voice boomed.

"Bill?" Jake was surprised.

"At your service senorita!"

"How?" Jake said, "I didn't even release you yet."

"Told you, kid!" he replied, "We'll always be connected."

"Anyway, we got bad news."

"GOOD! I'm longing to kill someone!"

"Yes!" Jake punched his knuckles, "That's the spirit! We need to kill that guy!" he pointed at Frank.

"WHAT? HIM?"

"Yeah, what's wrong?"

"He's Mephistopheles! The lord of Demons! I was right! I can't beat him!"

"Don't worry, a reliable source says that two demons can kill another."

"Where's this number two?"

"There," Jake pointed at Ada.

"Is she trustworthy?" Bill sounded suspicious.

"Of course she is," Jake assured him, "Now, if I release you, will you be on your best behavior and kill that creep?"

"You see kid, the problem is…" Bill bargained, "In order for your process to work, which I think won't be successful…"

"Yes?" Jake asked impatiently.

"You need to let me possess you…"

Jake remembered what Ying said, about being cautious and Bill being dangerous. Then he remembered what's at stake here.

"Fine," he sighed, "Sorry, Ying."

"Just like that?" Bill seemed amazed.

"Do whatever you need, QUICKLY!"

Jake felt that a cold wind was entering his body. But after a while, he started to feel warm. Like every molecule of his body was heating up. He could already feel his wounds healing.

"Hey!" he and Bill both roared at once.

Frank looked at him, so did Ada.

"Leave her at once," he started walking, his body morphing into demon form. He felt fire coming out of his nostrils. His height was increasing.

"Finally, some worthy opponent!" Frank also started transforming.

Ada was about to attack him from behind but his hand morphed into a blade and pierced her, "Oh, how the little dog will cry when he sees his.." he was about to use the B word, but Jake roared and jumped at him. He was getting an open edge as Bill was with him this time. He was using all his amulets simultaneously, tirelessly.

But eventually, he was slowing down. As his pace sped down, Mephisto grabbed a crab shaped demon and threw it at Jake. Both of them stumbled down. The crab demon tore off one of Jake's legs but even before he could feel it, it regenerated. Then he just melted the crab holding its shells.

Suddenly a wall of flame hit his back. Though he was supposed to be flame proof, courtesy of Bill, but still this scorching heat left blisters on his back. He turned back and saw that Mephisto breathed flame on him.

"There's now way we can defeat him," Jake whimpered, "Not this way, he overpowers us."

"Got any better options?" Bill asked.

"Actually," Jake thought, "I DO have one…Ada, over here."

She heard him, "What's wrong?"

"When I give the signal, you stab him!" Jake pointed at Mephisto, who laughed, "Huh! She's been trying to stab me this whole evening, and look where it brought her…"

"Let the holy cross purify your heart!" Jake screamed and shot a deadly blast of fire at the roof. Mephisto looked there and said, "You missed."

Jake remembered what Ying said, about the cross over the chapel. He's been sensing its power even from down here. Luckily, Mephisto was right below it, "I didn't miss."

Debris started to fall and the roof collapsed, erasing Frank's smile as he looked up and saw the cross falling and impaling him through the chest.

Blood gouged of his mouth, as he still said, "That's not…enough…"

"Yeah, I just know what needs to be done now," Jake looked at Ada.

"Was that the signal?" as Jake shook his head, she ran at him and stabbed Mephisto in his guts, who still grumbled, "Too…weak…little…"

Before he could finish, Jake lounged at him with open claws and took off his head with one single blow.

Ada sat down on the floor, returning to her normal form, "Did we make it?"

"I think so…" Jake also returned to his human form, "Look," he pointed at Mephisto's body.

The sunlight was slowly rising over the sky, its beams entering the chapel through its broken windows, burning away Mephisto's body to ashes.

"It's over," Jake sat over on Ying's side.

"I got so little time with her," Ada regretted.

"So did I," Jake said, "We should give her a proper burial."

The demons were returning to their abyss and slowly silence was taking over.

"I'll miss her," Ada said.

"I won't miss her, for one," Bill boomed.

"Mr. Demon," Ada said, "Please give us a minute alone."

"Oh, oops…sorry."

"Don't mind him," Jake told her, "He's always like this."

"We should go," Ada stood up.

"I don't know," Ada shrugged, "Maybe I'll go to the place of my origin. Find out what really happened and how it did."

"Oh, I think I should continue Ying's business."

"You really cared for her," Ada said, "Didn't you? Promise me, you'll lay her to her final rest safely."

"I promise," Jake said boldly.

"It was nice to meet you," Ada started to walk away, "Jake."