Prologue…
The forest path was lit by an eerie orange glow from the light of the burning village not a mile away. The trees, though thick and dense, were not enough to filter out the smoke burning the girl's lungs as she fled.
Utterly exhausted, she dropped to her knees and cradled her two bawling infants to her breast.
"Shush, little ones, be quiet or they'll find us!" she whispered to them desperately. She flicked her gaze nervously around the path, and saw red and yellow eyes surrounding her, glinting evilly through the trees. The malice in them frightened her. Shuddering, she huddled closer to the ground, trying to sink out of their field of vision. "Shush!" she pleaded.
"Fi-chan," a low voice behind her growled. Filia nearly wept, but whether from relief or annoyance she couldn't tell.
"Stupid Namagomi!" she cried, forgetting caution in her ardor. "Look what…"
"Be quiet!" Xelloss ordered, crouching down behind her and sliding a hand over her mouth. The two stayed frozen there together for what seemed like an eternity, then Xelloss stood and helped Filia to her feet. He took the male infant from her arms, to help lighten her burden. The child immediately stopped crying and reached its chubby arms out to him, giggling with delight. "They've gone," he said solemnly, panning the forest with a sharp-eyed gaze.
"What just happened?" Filia asked in an irked tone, as if it had been all Xelloss's fault that she and her children had been chased (which of course it was, in her opinion. Everything bad was the namagomi's fault.) She shifted the female restlessly in her arms. "Why did they attack us?"
The usual maniacally happy one immediately replaced the solemn look, as Xelloss reached out a hand and grabbed her wrist. "Let's go somewhere more private to talk, love, shall we?" Filia didn't even have the time to yell at Xelloss for calling her "love" before she was swept off in a flash of darkness along with him.
They re-materialized in a cave, located right by a running stream. It was morning here, and the sun peeked through enchanting rainbow-colored leaves to make patterns on the forest floor.
"Good. We're safe. Juu-ou-sama doesn't have presence here," said Xelloss, sitting cross-legged on the floor and making faces at the child. The baby thought this was hysterically funny, and his childish laugh echoed off the cavern walls. "See, he likes me, why don't you Filia?" he asked in a mock- wounded voice.
"Because I know better," she commented dryly. "What are you doing here?"
"I should really ask you that. After all, I *did* bring you here."
"You know what I mean, Xelloss," she growled at him. He really was insufferable. "Does this have something to do with the attack?"
Xelloss's mood changed abruptly again, as it was prone to do, and he looked seriously up at her through amethyst eyes. "Yes. They want the children, Filia. They know."
"Who knows?"
"Juu-ou-sama. And the other mazoku. But then again, I should have guessed. There was no way that she didn't find out about the frequent visits I was making," he glanced up at her slyly and threw her a wink.
She rolled her eyes at him. "Really," she sighed. But oh, how she remembered those visits. Those nights when they had gotten along perfectly, when passion was the rule of the hour. Of course, there was a price to happiness, which lay peacefully in her arms right now.
"In fact, I think she did not interfere because she *wanted* this to happen," he said, indicating the children with a nod of his head. "They are incredibly powerful. They posses the power of both the mazoku and the gods. If they could be twisted to obey her, or Kai-ou or Ha-ou…woe to the world."
"But that won't happen, will it?" she pressed him suspiciously.
"Of course not. They are my children too," he said, "you should trust me in this matter. Really, Filia. I am not so bad as to sell out my own to someone who wishes them harm."
"Sometimes, I don't know about that."
Xelloss sighed dramatically. "Fine. Believe what you want. But you should be safe here. No one knows of this place except you, and me."
"Live here!!!" cried Filia. "You've got to be kidding me! Priestesses don't live in caves."
With a flick of his hand, Xelloss made the cave into a palace fit for a king. "Is that okay? Or don't Priestesses live in mansions either?"
Filia pointedly ignored the sarcasm in the mazoku's voice and surveyed the scene with an imperial air. "Yes, it's fine."
"Good. Well, I have business to take care of, so…" Xellos said, foisting the child into her arms.
"Wait. Could you do me another favor?"
"Honestly. You are just as bad as Juu-ou-sama. Fine."
"Jillas and…"
"Your lackeys?"
"Yes. I lost them in the attack…they took Val with them. Could you find them and bring them here?"
"Your wish is my command," he said with a flourish and a bow.
Then he disappeared and re-appeared directly in front of her, his forehead pressed to hers. She jumped and clutched her children closer to her. "I hate it when you do that!"
Xelloss chuckled. "I know. But you didn't think I'd let you go without a goodbye kiss, did you?"
And with that he pressed his lips to hers. The bond between them sparked and glowed, and the familiar feeling of oneness that Filia always felt while he was with her returned. She had wondered if it was always like that between dragons when they mated, or if it was unique to she and Xelloss. Either way, when they were like this it was almost as if they could read each other's minds. All the stress from the past month since the twins were born, all the death threats, the fear, and the attack that evening, all melted away and seemed worth it when she was in his arms. She'd sacrifice everything for him. She loved him. And she knew that, in his own way, Xelloss loved her too, and would give everything to protect her. Then, there were also those times when they'd annoy the hell out of each other. The relationship between them was at the best hard to describe, but it was there.
Now they had these two new beings to protect. Beings that it seemed the whole world was after at the moment. There was no doubt in her mind why…she had had visions, while she was pregnant, of mighty figures with graceful dragons wings floating high in a blood-red sky, releasing bursts of dark and white light simultaneously, while mazoku and gods alike trembled at their feet. In their hands solely rested the salvation or the destruction of the world.
It was hard to believe that these two tiny babies were those same figures of her visions. They looked so …innocent. They boy, with his large purple eyes and blond hair, and the girl, with her wild purple hair and blue eyes, could charm even the most ardent baby-hater. So how could it be that they were the ultimate power in the universe?
"You can be cute and powerful at the same time," murmured Xelloss, pulling away from their kiss.
"Oh Xelloss!" she cried, tears filling her eyes. "They're so helpless! I don't want anything to happen to them! They're *my* children…prophecy or no!"
"I know. And nothing *will* happen to them, you have my word."
"But how will you keep them from Juu-ou?"
"That," he said with a wink "is a secret. Don't worry, Fi-chan."
Then he vanished, for good.
*****************
The years passed before Filia's eyes, and an attack was still forthcoming. It seemed that, for once, Xelloss was as good as his word.
*****************
Glossary, for those of you who don't know some of the words I used (but most of you probably do):
Namagomi- Raw Garbage (Filia's pet name for Xelloss ^-^)
Juu-ou-sama- Lord Beastmaster, or Zelas, Xelloss's master
Kai-ou- Deep Sea Dolphin, one of the remaining Mazoku Lords (reportedly crazy)
Ha-ou- Dynast, one of the remaining Mazoku lords
Mazoku- If I have to explain this word to you, you should do more slayers research!
A/N: My first steps into the Slayers fanfiction world! Yay! I'm so happy! So didja like it? Lemme know what you think, I'm a total review junkie! ^-^
Oh yea, disclaimer: I don't own Slayers, so don't sue me, cause ya won't get much anyways ^-^;
The forest path was lit by an eerie orange glow from the light of the burning village not a mile away. The trees, though thick and dense, were not enough to filter out the smoke burning the girl's lungs as she fled.
Utterly exhausted, she dropped to her knees and cradled her two bawling infants to her breast.
"Shush, little ones, be quiet or they'll find us!" she whispered to them desperately. She flicked her gaze nervously around the path, and saw red and yellow eyes surrounding her, glinting evilly through the trees. The malice in them frightened her. Shuddering, she huddled closer to the ground, trying to sink out of their field of vision. "Shush!" she pleaded.
"Fi-chan," a low voice behind her growled. Filia nearly wept, but whether from relief or annoyance she couldn't tell.
"Stupid Namagomi!" she cried, forgetting caution in her ardor. "Look what…"
"Be quiet!" Xelloss ordered, crouching down behind her and sliding a hand over her mouth. The two stayed frozen there together for what seemed like an eternity, then Xelloss stood and helped Filia to her feet. He took the male infant from her arms, to help lighten her burden. The child immediately stopped crying and reached its chubby arms out to him, giggling with delight. "They've gone," he said solemnly, panning the forest with a sharp-eyed gaze.
"What just happened?" Filia asked in an irked tone, as if it had been all Xelloss's fault that she and her children had been chased (which of course it was, in her opinion. Everything bad was the namagomi's fault.) She shifted the female restlessly in her arms. "Why did they attack us?"
The usual maniacally happy one immediately replaced the solemn look, as Xelloss reached out a hand and grabbed her wrist. "Let's go somewhere more private to talk, love, shall we?" Filia didn't even have the time to yell at Xelloss for calling her "love" before she was swept off in a flash of darkness along with him.
They re-materialized in a cave, located right by a running stream. It was morning here, and the sun peeked through enchanting rainbow-colored leaves to make patterns on the forest floor.
"Good. We're safe. Juu-ou-sama doesn't have presence here," said Xelloss, sitting cross-legged on the floor and making faces at the child. The baby thought this was hysterically funny, and his childish laugh echoed off the cavern walls. "See, he likes me, why don't you Filia?" he asked in a mock- wounded voice.
"Because I know better," she commented dryly. "What are you doing here?"
"I should really ask you that. After all, I *did* bring you here."
"You know what I mean, Xelloss," she growled at him. He really was insufferable. "Does this have something to do with the attack?"
Xelloss's mood changed abruptly again, as it was prone to do, and he looked seriously up at her through amethyst eyes. "Yes. They want the children, Filia. They know."
"Who knows?"
"Juu-ou-sama. And the other mazoku. But then again, I should have guessed. There was no way that she didn't find out about the frequent visits I was making," he glanced up at her slyly and threw her a wink.
She rolled her eyes at him. "Really," she sighed. But oh, how she remembered those visits. Those nights when they had gotten along perfectly, when passion was the rule of the hour. Of course, there was a price to happiness, which lay peacefully in her arms right now.
"In fact, I think she did not interfere because she *wanted* this to happen," he said, indicating the children with a nod of his head. "They are incredibly powerful. They posses the power of both the mazoku and the gods. If they could be twisted to obey her, or Kai-ou or Ha-ou…woe to the world."
"But that won't happen, will it?" she pressed him suspiciously.
"Of course not. They are my children too," he said, "you should trust me in this matter. Really, Filia. I am not so bad as to sell out my own to someone who wishes them harm."
"Sometimes, I don't know about that."
Xelloss sighed dramatically. "Fine. Believe what you want. But you should be safe here. No one knows of this place except you, and me."
"Live here!!!" cried Filia. "You've got to be kidding me! Priestesses don't live in caves."
With a flick of his hand, Xelloss made the cave into a palace fit for a king. "Is that okay? Or don't Priestesses live in mansions either?"
Filia pointedly ignored the sarcasm in the mazoku's voice and surveyed the scene with an imperial air. "Yes, it's fine."
"Good. Well, I have business to take care of, so…" Xellos said, foisting the child into her arms.
"Wait. Could you do me another favor?"
"Honestly. You are just as bad as Juu-ou-sama. Fine."
"Jillas and…"
"Your lackeys?"
"Yes. I lost them in the attack…they took Val with them. Could you find them and bring them here?"
"Your wish is my command," he said with a flourish and a bow.
Then he disappeared and re-appeared directly in front of her, his forehead pressed to hers. She jumped and clutched her children closer to her. "I hate it when you do that!"
Xelloss chuckled. "I know. But you didn't think I'd let you go without a goodbye kiss, did you?"
And with that he pressed his lips to hers. The bond between them sparked and glowed, and the familiar feeling of oneness that Filia always felt while he was with her returned. She had wondered if it was always like that between dragons when they mated, or if it was unique to she and Xelloss. Either way, when they were like this it was almost as if they could read each other's minds. All the stress from the past month since the twins were born, all the death threats, the fear, and the attack that evening, all melted away and seemed worth it when she was in his arms. She'd sacrifice everything for him. She loved him. And she knew that, in his own way, Xelloss loved her too, and would give everything to protect her. Then, there were also those times when they'd annoy the hell out of each other. The relationship between them was at the best hard to describe, but it was there.
Now they had these two new beings to protect. Beings that it seemed the whole world was after at the moment. There was no doubt in her mind why…she had had visions, while she was pregnant, of mighty figures with graceful dragons wings floating high in a blood-red sky, releasing bursts of dark and white light simultaneously, while mazoku and gods alike trembled at their feet. In their hands solely rested the salvation or the destruction of the world.
It was hard to believe that these two tiny babies were those same figures of her visions. They looked so …innocent. They boy, with his large purple eyes and blond hair, and the girl, with her wild purple hair and blue eyes, could charm even the most ardent baby-hater. So how could it be that they were the ultimate power in the universe?
"You can be cute and powerful at the same time," murmured Xelloss, pulling away from their kiss.
"Oh Xelloss!" she cried, tears filling her eyes. "They're so helpless! I don't want anything to happen to them! They're *my* children…prophecy or no!"
"I know. And nothing *will* happen to them, you have my word."
"But how will you keep them from Juu-ou?"
"That," he said with a wink "is a secret. Don't worry, Fi-chan."
Then he vanished, for good.
*****************
The years passed before Filia's eyes, and an attack was still forthcoming. It seemed that, for once, Xelloss was as good as his word.
*****************
Glossary, for those of you who don't know some of the words I used (but most of you probably do):
Namagomi- Raw Garbage (Filia's pet name for Xelloss ^-^)
Juu-ou-sama- Lord Beastmaster, or Zelas, Xelloss's master
Kai-ou- Deep Sea Dolphin, one of the remaining Mazoku Lords (reportedly crazy)
Ha-ou- Dynast, one of the remaining Mazoku lords
Mazoku- If I have to explain this word to you, you should do more slayers research!
A/N: My first steps into the Slayers fanfiction world! Yay! I'm so happy! So didja like it? Lemme know what you think, I'm a total review junkie! ^-^
Oh yea, disclaimer: I don't own Slayers, so don't sue me, cause ya won't get much anyways ^-^;