April Fools
Chibi: *looks at a calendar* You DO realize that it's June, right Quick? Aqua: Yeah, April was two months ago! Quick: Well. I wasn't thinking of writing a Slayers Fanfiction two months ago. I just came up with this idea for crying out loud. Chibi: So, what's this fic about anyway? Aqua: *clings to Quick's arm* Tis a nice clean fic, ne? Quick: *gives Aqua a Zelgadis plushie to cling to instead* Yes, of course it is. To answer Chibi, our favorite Trickster Priest decides to play some HARMLESS Chibi and Aqua: *cough hack* Harmless? *hack cough* Quick: Yes, HARMLESS little pranks on his traveling companions. It is April Fools Day after all. Now, on with the story. Aqua and Chibi: *facefault* Oyt. x_x
~*~*~*~
The sun was shining, not a cloud in the sky. Not too hot, not too cold. A day when picnics and general frolicking seemed in order. Xellos sighed, 'What a miserable day.'
He leaned back in his chair, lacing his hands behind his head as he watched his companions order lunch. Although nothing interesting was happening yet, he knew it was only a matter of time before something did. Meal times were always entertaining; if no argument occurred naturally, one could always be started.
The General-Priest smirked as Lina motioned for the waiter. 'Let the fun begin.'
"I see the special today is spaghetti and meatballs. Tell me," Lina almost purred, her crimson eyes narrowing. "Is it any good?"
"Yes ma'am. One of the best items on our menu. No one's ever complained."
The sorceress chuckled, slamming her fist onto the table, "Good! I won't bother to order by number of plates; just give me the whole pot. If I need more, I will call you."
"Oh, that sounds good. Can I have that too?" Gourry asked.
The waiter gulped, "So, you want two WHOLE pots of spaghetti." His fingers shook slightly as he forced a smile, "Is there anything else I can get for you?"
Xellos giggled, enjoying the nervousness of the waiter, "Nothing for me. You'll have enough trouble keeping up with Lina and Gourry as it is!"
Zelgadis spoke quietly from his corner, "Tea for me."
Filia nodded, "Tea for me as well."
That only left Amelia, and she ordered nothing more than a sandwich.
Lina glanced at her, "Are you sure that's all you want, Amelia? You usually prefer hot food."
The girl grimaced, her normally happy expression one of hate, "The only hot food here is spaghetti and meatballs, WHICH I HATE MORE THAN ALL THE INJUSTICE IN THE UNIVERSE!"
That made the group's ears perk. Many a time they had heard hours upon hours of what the Princess liked or loved. This was something new.
"Now. what did the innocent pasta and dead cow ever do to earn such hatred?" Xellos asked, his normal smile broadening as Amelia blushed.
"Yes. you must tell us!" Lina urged, her curiosity almost overcoming her hunger.
"Oh, it's not important! It's actually quite silly," The Princess stammered, wishing she had never said anything at all.
"Then you should have no trouble telling us," Filia observed, tapping her mace absently against her leg.
Gourry blinked, "Tell us what?"
The others ignored him, and a wave of purple hair fell before Amelia's eyes as Xellos floated, upside down, into view, "Come on! Tell us! It'll make you feel better! Besides, if you don't tell us, then I'll just have to force you to. And you wouldn't like that, right?" He opened his eyes to heliotrope slits, and his words held a hidden hint of menace.
Only Zelgadis seemed to notice, and he sent the Mazuko an icy glance. However, before anything else could be said, the food arrived.
"You can tell us after we eat!" Lina said before attacking her food with gusto.
"Ditto!" Gourry echoed her movements, and soon the rest of the traveling circus witnessed their disappearing act.
Xellos reappeared in his seat, and if he was upset about not getting to hear the secret immediately, it did not show in his wide smile, "My money's on Lina to finish first. Who agrees?"
"I don't know," Filia paused from sipping her tea to send an unfriendly stare at the demon. "Gourry seems to be holding his own."
He returned her gaze with his usual smile, "Do I hear the last of the Golden Dragons putting her money where her mouth is?"
She snarled, slamming her leather purse on the table, "You're on!"
Zelgadis sighed, adding sugar to his tea as Amelia shook her finger at the two, "You should be ashamed of yourselves! We haven't even been sitting down to eat for an hour, and already you two are on the verge of fighting!"
Filia did not speak again, and Xellos giggled, watching Lina and Gourry. The Dragon Maiden did have a point; the golden haired swordsman WAS holding his own against Lina. Not that it mattered much to him. What were a few pieces of gold in exchange for getting a rise out of both Filia and Amelia at once?
The servant of Xellas thought he could feel shards of icy hate stabbing him, and when he glanced up, he was actually rather surprised to see that it was Zelgadis who emitted the death gaze. Now that he thought about it, he realized that the Chimera had been sending him more watchful looks today then usual. The trickster could not think of anything particularly horrible he had done to the wearer of the stone skin of late. So, the question was, why was Zelgadis watching him so closely?
'Two secrets in one day. that's unusual', Xellos thought as he feigned interest in the tug-of-war Lina and Gourry were having after the last meatball. He sent a smile to Filia as Lina won, enjoying the anger and dislike he felt rising from his foe.
Before he could taunt her, Filia threw the bag of gold to him. He caught it, tucking it into his sleeve, and he turned his eyes to the Princess Amelia. He felt it was high time to learn her secret. And he wasn't the only one.
"Okay! Time to learn why our expert on justice and love hates spaghetti," Lina announced, wiping her mouth with a napkin.
In an instant, all eyes rested on the young girl, who fidgeted uncomfortably. She knew there was no point in resisting, so she told her tale as quickly as possible, "I had a babysitter who could cook nothing but spaghetti. She made it every time she stayed to watch me, which was often. One night I had a nightmare where I was drowning in a sea of pasta and sauce. And I DO NOT want to hear about it ever again!"
The rest of the group blinked, and Filia laid a hand on the Princess's shoulder, "Don't worry, Amelia. We're all friends here, and you can trust us. Well, all but one of us, but I'm sure we can protect you from HIS teasing."
Xellos could feel their eyes turn to him, and he gave a look of mock amazement, "Me? You mean ME? Would I betray such trust? Tsk, tsk. I thought you all KNEW me better than that!"
Gourry looked up, "What were we talking about again?"
Lina gave an enraged shriek, and Amelia and Filia leapt to try and protect Gourry from her anger. Xellos barely contained a laugh, savoring the conflict. It ended far too soon for his tastes, and it was only after every one had settled down that he noticed Zelgadis was watching him again.
The opportunity was too good, and the violet-haired demon smirked, "See something you like, Zelgadis?"
The Chimera growled, "In your dreams, Mazoku!"
"My dreams. or yours?"
The taunt had its desired effect; Zelgadis' growl deepened and his eyes flashed with hatred.
Filia gave a delicate cough, "Why HAVE you been watching him so close lately?"
"What? Afraid he'll take over your duties to destroy me for the sake of the world?" Xellos teased.
"SHUT UP! I want to hear what Zel has to say!" Lina hissed.
Gourry blinked, "Can Zelgadis continue now? We really should be going if we're going to make it to Sailoon by the end of the day."
Amelia whispered to him, "But Gourry, that's where we are NOW!"
"Oh."
Lina tapped her foot impatiently, "Well, Zel? We're waiting."
"Don't any of you know what day it is?" The Chimera demanded.
The fiery-headed sorceress rolled her eyes, "It's Friday. So?"
Zelgadis sighed, "No. no. I mean the date. It's April the first. April Fools Day. And I assumed that our very own Trickster Priest here would try to pull some pranks on us."
He crossed his stone arms, frowning, "And just because he hasn't so far doesn't mean he isn't going to."
Then, everyone erupted into speech at once, except for Xellos, who was too stunned to speak. His mind was racing, but he could still hear bits and pieces of what was going on around him.
"Oh, Zelgadis-san! Protect M-"
"AMELIA! GET OFF OF M-"
"But Lina, I really DON'T see how we jumped from talking about spaghetti to talking about Xel-"
"YOU ARE IMPOSSIBLE GOURRY!"
They all faded from the hearing of the General-Priest, but Xellos never realized that he had ceased to listen. His mind was racing with many thoughts. Today? The day of pranks was TODAY?! And he hadn't remembered? No. it wasn't possible. He NEVER forgot April Fools Day! But he had. and the day was already half over! He didn't have anything planned. What was he going to do?
Lost in the labyrinth of his own thoughts, the Mazoku did not realize that his eyes were wide open, and he was frowning in thought. His true self was peering through unconsciously and uncontrolled, and what finally made him realize it was Filia's frightened voice, "W-why are you looking at me like that?"
He snapped to attention, changing his frown to a smile, but he did not close his glittering purple eyes. He licked his lips as the Golden Dragon backed away, tasting her fear, "Hmm. I suppose you'll never know."
He then disappeared, not caring what consequences might result amongst the group. He needed to plan.
~*~*~*~
Amelia sat alone in the inn, upstairs in the room they had rented for the girls. After Xellos had disappeared, Zelgadis and Filia had immediately gone to search for him. As she sat brushing her hair, she did not know which one she thought hated the priest more. Not that it mattered much; if Xellos did not want to be found, he would not be found. Young and foolish as she was, even Amelia knew that.
Lina and Gourry had been determined not to let anything spoil the rest of their afternoon, so they had gone off into the city to see what there was to see. That was fine with the Princess. Those two needed to be alone to realize how much they truly loved one another. Amelia knew that too.
The Princess had a much tighter hold on reality than most people thought she did. Oh, sure, she gave speeches about justice and love, but she DID realize that injustice and hate existed too. Why didn't anybody realize that?
She brooded while she sat in her chair, and she leaned back to think about it. Obviously the day's travels had tired her out more than she thought, because though she didn't mean to, she soon feel asleep.
A pair of purple eyes gazed upon her sleeping form, and Xellos giggled, "They left little Amelia alone? THAT was not overly bright of them."
He gave his staff a little twirl, and he thought aloud, "My first victim. and what shall I do to her? Hmm. hmmm." He seemed to consider it for a bit, and he stopped playing with his staff to smile, "Oh no! It's too cruel, too gruesome! I'll do it."
~*~*~*~
Amelia woke to the sounds of someone playing a guitar and humming outside her window. She looked out, and her eyes widened. 'No. it can't be!'
But it was. Down on the ground, Zelgadis was tuning his instrument. When the Princess poked her head out of the window, he smiled and began to sing.
"After running up a gentle slope you should rest for a while and sit on the hill. Even the birds that sing while flying through the expansive sky... Look, even they rest their wings and sleep."
"Let's walk unhurriedly and patiently. Let ourselves be guided by 'flashes' or chance happenings. Everyone shalalala lala And continue our respective journeys under the same sun for the sake of the happiness and chance meetings for us that tomorrow holds."
The Princess felt tears of joy rise in her eyes, and though she didn't know how the Chimera saw them, she knew he must have as he continued, "Whether you're sad or you're happy your falling tears are very beautiful. If you accept your true feelings and are honest to your own heart you will no longer have anything to worry about."
"Both the stars that fall mysteriously and the cold wind... Secretly, nature conveys an important message. Someday shalalala lala I want to whisper privately to you the secret that I have hidden...
"I will always stay with you and look after you from behind. Everyone shalalala lala And continue our respective journeys under the same sun. I will always stay with you and look after you from behind. Someday shalalala lala I want to whisper privately to you the secret that I have hidden..."
"I will always stay with you and look after you from behind."
Amelia blushed as the Chimera serenaded her, and she believed it was a miracle. After all this time of showing him how much she cared, he was returning her feelings. Oh, how she loved him.
"Hark, what light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Amelia is the sun."
This made the Princess blush even more, and she called back, "There's no need to think up such pretty words for me. You don't have to win my heart. It already belongs to you!"
Zelgadis smiled shyly, "Then, will you come with me, to any place I wish to take you? Trust me enough to leave this inn, without telling anyone where you're going? I have something I want to tell you, need to tell you. but I can't speak here."
The young girl felt her heart beat faster, and she nodded eagerly. 'Can it be. will he finally admit that he loves me?' She floated down to the ground, and accepted the arm the Chimera offered her with a smile.
It felt good to walk with him in public. Amelia sighed. It was probably all just another of her dreams. but it was such a nice dream. It was so real, felt so right, and if this was a hallucination, she did not wish to return to reality.
Zelgadis led her to an abandoned bathhouse, and although it was covered with dust, the sunlight pouring from the windows made it seem beautiful. He laid his cloak on the ground near one of the baths, beckoning for her to sit on it.
As she complied with his wish, the stone being began to pace, his words coming out after some hesitation, "Amelia. I don't know how to make this beautiful or heartwarming or. or romantic, so I'll just say it. I love you. I think I always have loved you."
Amelia opened her mouth to speak, but in a heartbeat, Zelgadis was at her side, his finger on her lips, "No. let me finish. You were the only one who could see through my stone skin to my soul. the only one never to look at me with fear, or pity, or hate. I was blind not to see this."
With demon speed he pulled her into an embrace, holding her back to look into her eyes, "I don't want to lose that. I don't every want to lose YOU. I suppose what I'm asking, hoping, wanting, needing, is for you to say you will be mine, now and forever."
The Princess felt tears of joy spring to her eyes, and for once, she had no words to say. She looked away, unable to tolerate the intense, fierce love she saw in Zelgadis' sapphire eyes. Was this some kind of cruel joke? Would her dream end now and leave her to cold, lonely reality?
She felt a cold hand cup her chin, and she soon found herself gazing into the glowing blue orbs of the Chimera once more before he kissed her, passionately, on the lips.
Amelia broke the kiss, sobbing as she spoke, "Oh Zelgadis! Nothing would bring me more pleasure! And with our powerful love uniting us, we will be the ultimate champions of justice! We will scour the countryside of bandits, and clean the mph mph!"
Zelgadis had placed his other hand on her mouth, a smile curving at the sides of his mouth, "I'll take that as a yes."
He kissed her twice on the forehead, and leaned forward to whisper into her ear, "April Fools."
Amelia's eyes widened when he pushed her into the empty bath. But it wasn't empty anymore. She fell into something warm, sticky. and noodley?
It didn't take long for her to scream. She was in a bath full of spaghetti and meatballs! She struggled to swim out, but she was weighed down by the pasta and sauce. She looked at Zelgadis in horror before slipping below the surface, and into unconsciousness.
The Chimera on the bank giggled, and if anyone had heard that laugh, they would have instantly known who it was.
Xellos transformed to his natural self, and he made the pool empty and clean, using his magic to bring the unconscious, and now orange-colored Amelia, to rest in the her former sitting spot.
He brushed his gloved hand on her forehead, smiling to see the letters 'AP', written in flowing, green script, glowing where he had kissed her.
The Mazoku gave his staff a slight twirl, "Who next? Ah yes, Gourry!"
~*~*~*~
Gourry was wandering around the city, a strawberry ice cream cone, half- eaten, in his hand. He took another like from his treat, and he wondered just what else there was to do in this town.
Lina had dragged him to watch some musical, and he had barely escaped a good fireballing when she had found out that he had slept through most of it.
So, he had explored on his own, but so far he had found nothing of interest. He had participated in a story-telling contest at a local bar, and he had even stayed to help with the bar room brawl that inevitably broke out.
Now he thought he would just go back to the inn. He thought about going look for Lina first, but she was probably still mad at him. He couldn't understand why she had gotten mad at him in the first place; if he wanted to sleep through a production of singing and dancing cats, then why shouldn't he?
"GOURRY!"
Lina's voice made the swordsman turn around, and sure enough, the redheaded sorceress was behind him. She held a soft-serve chocolate vanilla swirl ice cream cone in one hand, and she waved with the other.
When she had finally caught up, she took a lick of her ice cream and smiled, "I finally found you! Where are you headed?"
"I was going back to the inn. Uh, you're not still mad at me about that show thing, are you Lina?" Gourry asked, wondering why she was so happy.
She laughed, "Oh course not! Why should I be upset over such a little thing? I DO have a place I was hoping you would take me though."
The blonde was still puzzled, but he asked, "Where?"
Lina fluttered her eyelashes at him, flirtingly, "There's a spa called the Silver Moon nearby. I was thinking we could go, relax, and spend some. quality time together."
Gourry blinked, "A spa? TOGETHER? Isn't that a little, I dunno, inappropriate?"
The look Lina sent him seemed to indicate that's what she had in mind. She ran the fingers of her free hand through his long blonde hair teasingly, "What? We're both adults. and we're friends! Nothing's gonna happen, and if it does, it won't be unless we both want it to!"
The swordsman gulped, blushing furiously, "I suppose so. and if you really want me to take you there, I will."
The sorceress smiled, "Good! I'll see you there in a few minutes."
Gourry nodded, and he began to search for the Silver Moon. His conscience was bothering him; should he really, he being a man and Lina being a woman, accompany Lina to that spa?
He thought about it. He loved Lina, more than even she realized, and he would do nothing to harm her or disgrace her. Her knew that. And if this was her way of expressing herself, why shouldn't he go? Nothing unexpected, or unwanted was going to happen!
With his mind blissfully clear, its usual state, Gourry walked into the door of the Silver Moon.
He asked for directions to the dressing room, and received them. When he was halfway there, he suddenly realized something. He had no robe!
'Ah well. these big places always have a spare. and if not, someone is BOUND to have forgotten one!' So, feeling rather proud of himself for finding the solution to a problem logically, Gourry opened the door and stepped into the deserted dressing room.
Had anyone been around to listen, they would have heard a blood-curdling scream. But no one was there, so the cry was in vain, and the blonde swordsman looked at the object that had warranted the scream, withdrawing the Sword of Light.
"No. no. it can't be!" But it was.
There was only one robe in the dressing room. It was pink. It was frilly. And it looked much much much MUCH too much like a certain dress that Gourry had tried long and hard to forget. On the right side, sewed with white thread, were the letters 'RI'. Undoubtedly the initials of the last owner.
Now, Gourry realized he was in quite a pickle. He wanted to spend time with Lina doing something she wanted to do. But, he could not, WOULD not, wear this robe!
Then, he had a thought. Was this Lina's twisted idea of a joke? Maybe he was meant to find this robe, and the fiery haired sorceress WANTED him to be embarrassed.
Well. he would show her! He would swallow his pride and wear the stupid robe. Then, when she realized that she wasn't going to get a laugh out of him, he would find some equally nasty joke to play on her!
He liked this plan.
So, he slipped into the prissy pink garment and stepped out into the hallway, running into another man. "I beg your pardon. AHHHHHHHHH!!!"
Now, anyone who knew Gourry Gabriev knew that he was a man of action, a man of courage. So, what was it that made him scream in horror and run in a different direction?
"LALA, MY LOVE! COME BACK!"
"I'm a MAN you fool! A MAAAAAAANNNN!!!"
Xellos watched from the air, giggling as he continued to eat his ice cream. "April Fools Gourry, April Fools."
~*~*~*~
Zelgadis sat beneath a tree near a river, taking a small break from his pursuit of the purple-haired Mazoku priest. He had not honestly expected to find Xellos, but he figured searching for him couldn't hurt.
The Chimera was not at all ashamed to show exactly what he felt for the trickster, deep, pure, hate. He reflected now that maybe that was why Xellos teased him so much; he was an easy snack.
Not that Zelgadis much cared. All he was concerned about was what nasty surprises the Demon might pull out on his friends. He would do whatever it took to protect them, and he realized this as he stretched. 'But not right now.'
The sun felt exceedingly good on his blue flesh, warm and comfortable. He closed his eyes, basking like a cat. All he needed was a good, hot cup of tea, and life would be wonderful.
"ZELGADIS!"
He sighed, 'Speaking of which. here comes Amelia.'
Zelgadis knew that Amelia had a crush on him, the same as half the world did. He saw it in the shy smiles she sent to him, the adoring eyes, the blushes that appeared when he spoke to her.
He also knew that he would never feel anything more for her than friendship. He could not love anyone more. Since he had been cursed, he had had trouble developing deep feelings for people. It had always been his personal opinion that when Rezo had turned his skin to stone, his heart had turned to stone as well.
Of course, the golem part of him was not necessarily the culprit. Maybe it was the demon in him that was to blame. It gave him the speed to run away in the blink of an eye, perhaps it made him run from his feelings as well. Then again, it could also just as easily have been his human skepticism. The one girl he had thought he truly loved had turned out to be a man, and Zelgadis was not THAT way.
Regardless of what held him back from love, the Chimera knew he would never love Amelia, and probably never love anyone else. He hoped the Princess realized that soon.
"ZEGLADIS! WHERE ARE YOU?!"
Her voice was nearer now, and he decided to make her search easier, "Over here Amelia!"
A few seconds passed before the Princess appeared, panting a little from her walk. She caught her breath, and then graced Zelgadis with a dazzling smile. "There you are! I have some exciting news!"
"Lina and Gourry were having another eating contest and offended some people, and now we have to go help and fight?"
Amelia shook her head, "Nope! It's something much more exciting, though probably more unexpected, than that!"
Zelgadis raised an eyebrow, "Well? Are you going to stand there bubbling over with happiness so obvious that it would make Xellos sick, or are you going to tell me your news?"
The cheerful girl giggled, "Funny you should mention Xellos. He's the reason I came to see you!"
The Chimera leapt to his feet, grabbing her by her shoulders, "You know where he is?"
The Princess nodded, "Of course. He's been with me all day!"
Zelgadis' mouth dropped, and she continued, "That's why I came out looking for you. I wanted to tell you that Xellos and I are going to be married!"
The chimera pushed the girl back to stare at her. Who was this before him? Certainly not Amelia. She feared the Mysterious Priest, not LOVED him!
The Princess saw his look and laughed, "Oh. I know what you must be thinking. How can I love him when I swore I would love you forever?"
She clasped her hands under her chin, and her eyes shone like stars, "The truth is. I don't know how I didn't see it before! The cunning little smile he always wears, his wonderful, jewel-like eyes. his hair, soft as a violet petal, and exactly the same color. I must have been blind not to see it! But when he came to me today and told me that he loved me, I realized that I loved him back."
She smiled again, "A lovely wedding back home. with Daddy and all of my dear friends around me. And who knows, some day you may find little purple- eyed Amelias on the throne!"
Zelgadis stared at the ecstatic Amelia, horror and terror in his eyes. 'That damned Mazoku. he's placed some sort of spell on her. And with Amelia under his control. he could have access to one of the most powerful white magic cities in the world! And poor, misguided girl. she'll follow him like a lap dog, never giving anyone all the love and devotion she has to someone who deserves it! HE WILL DIE!'
No, the Chimera did not love Amelia, but he had a fierce, intense loyalty for his friends. He would fight to the death for them, and Amelia was not exception.
Wrapped up in his thoughts, he did not realize that he was ever tightening his grip on the girl's shoulders until she groaned, "Zelgadis. you're hurting me!"
Zelgadis snarled, but loosened his fingers slightly before speaking, "Amelia, tell me you're just playing some kind of April Fools joke on me when you say you love that purple-haired fruitcake!"
This made the Princess gasp, and she jerked away from the Chimera's hands, her smile vanishing. "H-how can you talk about my fiancé that way? I thought you would be happy for me, but I guess now I know you're just jealous!
Zelgadis shook his head, "You know better than that. I don't want Xellos to use you. I'm your friend, and you KNOW you can trust me. Can you say the same for your future husband?"
Amelia opened her mouth to speak, then reconsidered her angry words and closed her eyes. "I understand Zelgadis-san. But I'm a big girl now, and I can take care of myself."
The Chimera lost whatever control he still had on his temper, and he grabbed her arm, his blue eyes blazing with the fire of anger, "No, you are a foolish child who thinks a cold-hearted demon can love her. You are allowing some fantasy of finding your true love overcome your common sense. You are FAR from able to take care of yourself!"
He ceased his roaring, and closed the twin flames that were his eyes, calming himself down, "Amelia. I will make a deal with you. Will you stay around to hear it, or will I have to continue holding your arm because you will run?"
Amelia sighed, "I will stay. as I have no choice. You could catch me if I tried to run anyway."
Zelgadis opened his eyes, releasing her and beginning to speak, "I plan on taking you and finding Lina, and from there we will both take you to someone who will be able to tell if you have a spell cast on you or not, and if so, how to break it." "Let me finish," he said, seeing that she was going to interrupt him. "If both Lina and this other person say that you are under no form of spell, then you can ride away with Xellos on a milk white steed or whatever other thing you wish to do, and I will come to the wedding."
"And if they find a spell, you want me to undergo whatever treatment is necessary to break it?" Amelia asked, unable to remain silent anymore.
"Yes. That. and you won't protest whenever I go and kill that purple-eyed freak!"
The Princess' eyes widened, and she took a step back, "No. you're raving with jealousy. You'll convince Lina that something is wrong, a-and you'll FORCE my love for Xellos away. I won't do it!"
The Chimera sighed, "Then, you leave me no choice but to knock you unconscious and bring you that way. I promise you that I won't force anyone to remove your love if it truly exists."
Amelia hissed, "Stay away from you Stone creep!" Then, despite what she had said earlier, she ran.
Zelgadis knew she was terrified of him, and he really didn't want to hurt her, so he did not catch her. Instead, he ran fast enough to not lose her. He figured one of two things was bound to happen: Amelia would either collapse from exhaustion or run herself into a natural trap.
The frightened princess ran, but every time she looked back, the Chimera was right behind her. That made her try to run faster, and she suddenly spied a fallen log leading across the river. With a cry, she leapt for it, and miraculously landed on her feet.
Zelgadis stopped at the edge of the bank, staring at the viciously stirrings of the river before him. This was one of the most violent parts of the river, and the Chimera cursed his golem part. Even when he had been human he would have thought twice about crossing, but at least he would have been able to try without fear of automatic drowning.
Amelia saw his hesitance, and she began to cross the bridge, "HA! Guess I was too smart for yo-!"
Zelgadis gasped as she tripped, and the girl screamed, holding onto the log with all her strength, "Help! Zelgadis-san. I don't want to be swept away by the river and have my body float to some horrible place!"
The Chimera looked at his frightened friend, and then he looked at the water. 'Water. my worst enemy.' He sighed, knowing what he was going to do. But he wouldn't like it. "Hold on Amelia!"
He placed a foot cautiously on the log. It seemed steady, and soon he was walking towards the Princess. 'One foot in front of the other.' After what seemed an eternity, he was beside Amelia. Sweat trickled down his face, and his breathing was ragged as he battled his hydrophobia. "Give me your hand, and I will pull you up."
She whimpered, but obeyed his firm command, and in a moment, she was dripping wet, standing next to the Chimera.
She shivered, and Zelgadis sighed, beginning to remove his cloak, "Here. This should help you from being too cold."
"Oh, Zelgadis-san, thank you! You were so brave!"
The Chimera gave a surprised cry when she glomped him, and he instinctively jerked away. He lost his footing and fell into the river with a tremendous splash.
Amelia laughed placing her hands on her hips, "Any minute now, he'll come up sputtering for air!"
So, she waited. And waited. and waited. Cursing silently, Xellos resumed his own form, and he used his staff to fish the waterlogged Chimera out of the river, "I forgot he couldn't resurface. Being part golem makes him sink like a rock!" He grabbed Zelgadis' arms and phased out, reappearing on the bank of the river.
The Trickster Priest stretched, enjoying the soreness of his shoulder muscles, and addressing the unconscious being at his feet, "April Fools, Zelgadis! I truly thank you for reminding me of the date, though I'm sure YOU regret it now!"
He pulled some kelp from the river, using it to arrange the letters 'LF' on the Chimera's back. He paused, studying his handiwork, and then stood, stretching once more. "Lina and Filia are the only two that remain. Mustn't start being a slacker!"
~*~*~*~
Lina Inverse felt very guilty. She found that she often did after she unleashed her temper at Gourry. It wasn't his fault he had been born dumb as a pound of mayonnaise. So why did she continue to yell or hit him if it made her feel bad?
After thinking about it over some coffee, and about three dozen doughnuts, the sorceress decided that releasing her anger felt good. Yes, it felt much better than keeping it inside. And then, later on, her conscience repented.
Now that THAT was settled, what should she do about it? Another three dozen doughnuts held the solution to that question as well. She would go out, find the swordsman, and apologize.
"Hey Lina!"
The red-haired bandit killer looked up to see Gourry and laughed, "Well. speak of the Devil and he will appear."
Gourry blinked, "But Lina, I didn't hear you say anything about summoning a devil."
"Never mind," Lina said quickly, offering him a chair. "So, what's up?"
Gourry blinked again, counting on his fingers, "The sky, birds, butterflies, the ceiling, the fan attached to the ceiling. do you gave a headache?"
Lina had placed a hand on her forehead, and she looked up, forcing a smile, "No, I'm fine. Thank you for telling me all the things that are up. Now, what brings you here?"
Gourry smiled back at her, but his was his usual innocent smile, "I came to find you because I saw a magic shop that's going out of business, and I though you might be able to find some new spells or something there."
The sorceress closed her crimson eyes and snorted, "Gourry, if the shop had anything good, then it wouldn't be going out of business."
The blonde swordsman rose abruptly, his smile gone, and he turned to leave. "I thought you might be interested. Sorry if I wasted your time."
Lina was surprised to here the amount of pain in her friend's voice. As the door to the café she was slammed behind him, she realized that he may have taken most of the hours since she had left him trying to re-find her and give her the news. It was probably his way of trying to make up for the fact that he had made her mad, and what did she do? She turned around and threw it in his face.
She leapt from the table, and she yelled as she hit the street, "Gourry?!"
She did not see him as she looked out into the crowd, and she soon found herself utterly lost. She thought she caught a glimpse of Gourry from the corner of her eye, but when she walked down the alley she found she was wrong. It was a dead end.
"Well, well, well, what have we here?"
Lina spun around to see a small gang behind her. She hissed, "I'm just your average, every day magic user, and you don't want to get in my way!"
The leader sneered, "Of course not. All we want to do is rob you blind. If you give us the gold, there will be no trouble."
"There won't be any trouble now!"
The sorceress was surprised to hear Gourry's voice, but soon spotted the blonde swordsman behind the would-be robbers. "Gourry, how did you get there?"
"Simple, I jumped out the trash can!"
That made Lina, and the bandits, blink. Finally, Lina asked, "Gourry, what were you doing in the trashcan?"
The blonde swordsman blushed, "It was the only place I knew of that I could hide until you weren't mad at me anymore."
Before Lina could respond, Gourry made a spectacular, though totally unexpected, flip, standing between her and the bandits. "I am Gourry Gabriev, and I am this girl's guardian. I will use my Sword of Light to defeat you and keep her honor pure!"
He withdrew his sword, accidentally hitting Lina on the head. He blinked when he heard her cry out, turning to see her body on the ground, "Lina, this is no time for sleeping!"
The bandits blinked as he gave a giggle, kicking her gently in the ribs, "Oops. how clumsy of me. April Fools Lina!"
The bandit leader coughed, tapping his foot slightly, "Pardon me sir, but don't you think you could change back to normal and pay us now?"
Frigid, blue eyes stared at him, and the voice was amused, "What? Does it bother you to see someone disguised as someone else?"
"Not really. just. YOU."
The brought a chuckle, and Xellos complied, changing back to himself. "Hmmm. gold to pay you. Ah yes, I do have some."
He bent over Lina's body, removing her purse and tossing it to the leader, "Now, scat. My prank is not yet completed!"
"What kind of person are you, robbing her like that?"
The Mysterious Priest cocked his head, "Sore wa himitsu desu! Now, please, go. I'm sure you have MUCH more important things to be doing."
The evil smirk, accompanied by the sparkling amethyst eyes settled all arguments, and soon Xellos was alone with the unconscious girl.
He snapped his fingers, flashing various bikinis onto Lina in rapid succession before settling on a bright blue one, with flaming 'O's on both sides.
He purred, "Oh my! Oh my! The day has passed so quickly! And I still have dear Filia to torture!"
~*~*~*~
Filia's tail lashed about in her own annoyed fashion. Her entire afternoon had been wasted with her futile search for Xellos.
She cursed the violet-eyed monster with all her heart. He was her oldest, truest enemy, and it always made her blood boil to think of how she was stuck traveling with him.
He was watching her. he was always watching her, waiting for her guard to slip. On that day, Filia knew she would die. And there would be no more Golden Dragons.
She wondered if her friends knew how evil Xellos was. Had he ever showed them? She doubted it, and even though she had told them stories, it WAS hard to believe unless you had seen it with your own two eyes.
Filia sighed as she sat on the grass at the edge of the forest, and she wondered just what pranks would be played by the Trickster Priest. Because he WOULD play his pranks, and there was nothing any of them could do to stop him. They all had a weakness, a dream, a nightmare, an embarrassment that could be preyed upon.
'Prey.' The Dragon Priestess felt herself shiver, and she realized it was the right word. The whole world was prey to the evil that inhabited the Mazoku race. Let people say Filia was paranoid. She figured if they were the last of their kind that they would be paranoid too.
She glanced at the sky, surprised to see how late in the day it was. The sun was setting, dyeing the sky with reds and yellows, oranges and pinks. It was beautiful.
Filia watched a bird fly towards her. She was tempted to transform and share the sky with it. Then, she squinted, and she realized it was not a bird she was seeing. It was too big.
Her heart quickened as she recognized the outline. It was a dragon? 'But what kind?'
She waited impatiently for it to get closer, and she gasped at what she saw. Glinting, golden scales. 'Impossible. there are no more!'
Filia was still staring, mesmerized, as the great beast landed just a few yards away from her, and she turned away, in case he wished to take human form.
A few seconds passed, and Filia heard a soft, musical voice behind her, "Miss. who are you?"
The Dragon Maiden turned around. and fell in love. Her eyes roved over the man behind her, marveled at his long, golden hair, and his clear blue eyes. His clothing was white and trimmed with blue, and he had a tail just like hers.
She smiled at him, and she almost whispered, "I-I am Filia."
He blushed, offering a shy, secretive smile of his own as he spoke, "And. are you. a. a Golden Dragon?"
She giggled, feeling like a giddy idiot, "Yes. Yes, I am. And who are you?"
He shifted his downcast eyes to her face, and he murmured, "Sellox. until most recently, the last of the Golden Dragons."
Filia was speechless. She knew only joy. She wasn't alone! She didn't have to face that damned Mazoku alone! She stood perfectly still, too happy to move, and too shocked to speak.
Sellox had no such restraint placed upon him, and he embraced her, sobbing onto her shoulder, "Filia-chan. I wish I could tell you how happy I am. I was tired of being alone."
"Me too." 'L-sama. this feels so right.' The Priestess sighed, returning Sellox's hug. She felt warm and secure. like nothing could harm her. He was a barrier, shielding her from the evils of the world. She had nothing to fear.
"Awww. look how cute!"
Filia and Sellox immediately separated, and the male Golden Dragon stepped in front her as he whispered the unholy name, "Xellos."
"Correct!" The Mysterious Priest chirped with his perpetual cheer. He floated to the ground, pointing his staff at the two Dragons, "Tsk, tsk. The two of you were never supposed to meet. You were so much fun to annoy separately."
He walked around, tussling Sellox's shiny blonde hair, and sighing as the Golden Dragon winced. "Now I shall have to destroy one of you. Will it be Sellox here, or gentle Filia?"
He stopped playing with one Dragon's hair to pull on another's, and Filia gave a slight gasp of pain as her braid was tugged.
Sellox snarled, aiming to strike, but Xellos dodged easily, "My my! It seems that the male half of the Golden Dragon team has decided for me."
"NO!"
Sellox never heard Filia's cry. It only took one beam of crimson energy from Xellos' staff to completely obliterate him.
She fell to her knees, and the tears of joy that had sprung to her eyes now escaped as tears of hate and sorrow, "XELLOS! YOU MONSTER! I WILL NEVER FORGIVE YOU FOR THIS!" Her heart broke, and she buried her face in her hands to sob uncontrollably.
Filia heard her enemy laugh, and she felt the cold touch of a silken glove trace her jaw, "Have I asked you to forgive me, Dragon Priestess?"
She was too busy crying to respond, and Xellos cupped her chin, forcing her to gaze into his eyes.
Filia winced. His eyes had always frightened her the most, always so cold and calculating. But, she found she couldn't look away, in the manner of a moth who can't help but fly towards a flame.
"What, hanging on my every word?" The Mazoku chuckled, his eyes glowing softly with a violet light. "Don't tell me you're afraid."
Filia gulped, trying, though unsuccessfully, to tear her gaze from those amethyst pools that glinted so evilly, "Of course not."
"Good. Because, for now, you have nothing to fear. I'm only going to mark you as my prey."
She watched in fascination as he raised a finger, and she felt the silk against her cheek. It was refreshing at first, but as it moved down along the side of her face, she screamed as she felt it. Fire, a hellish fire, anywhere she was touched.
The soft touch left her skin, but she was still burning. Xellos pulled her to her feet, whispering in her ear, his voice a mixture of a purr and velvet, "Was it really that bad? It's only a mark. don't you want to know what I've done to you?"
Filia choked back her cries of pain, her blue eyes gazing almost lifelessly in front of her as he continued, "LS, Filia-chan. two little letters. I have marked you as a Lost Soul. You belong to ME Golden One, and ONLY to me. You've begun to realize it lately, that you are mine, but do you know how much I possess of you?"
"Please. please stop." She whispered, felling him nip her gently on the earlobe.
"100 percent of you. Body, soul, heart, mind. Oh, you've felt it. You're in denial. You don't WANT to feel for me the way you do, but you know you wish to please me. It's very apparent, my gorgeous Dragon, that you have conflicting emotions. Hatred, or love? Which is stronger?"
He pulled back, brushing her tears away and then entangling his hands in her hair. Filia gave a moan as he kissed her, and she hated him. She hated him for killing her kind, for killing Sellox, for making her alone, for using her like this.
'I hate him. so why. why does this feel so wonderful?!' She sobbed to herself, finding herself returning the kiss, deepening it and unable to pull herself away.
Xellos purred, licking his lips as he pulled away, "Poor little lizard of gold. don't you realize that I only wish to hurt you? But you want me, don't you? You want me to kiss you, to hold you. You're so tired of being alone."
Filia gasped, shivering from head to toe. The kiss had felt so nice. but she hated him for it. She now knew what emotion she felt; hatred! She hated the damned Mazoku with every fiber of her being.
Anyone could give your body physical pleasure; it did not take much skill, and she reflected angrily that the purple-haired Priest before her had practiced a good bit in his time. 'Damn him. damn him for making me want him! I never have loved him. I never WILL love him!'
Xellos chuckled, pulling away from her, and he sighed, "That hatred is nice Filia-chan. But, now I leave you to it. Never forget who owns your soul, Dragon Maiden. I WILL come one day to claim it!"
Filia unconsciously raised her hand to her face, feeling the deep cuts that were there. She felt so helpless, so hopeless, and it was all over. She might as well die!
She awoke with a start, her breathing in heavy pants, and she looked wildly at her surroundings. Where was Sellox? Where was Xellos? 'And where am I?'
She was in a hole, not too deep, and she glanced down at a rock that had a little blood on it. She brought her hand to her head, feeling the sticky residue of blood there too.
Filia sat up, looking around. "Was it all a dream?" She wondered aloud.
Yes. yes, it had to have been! No Sellox, no Xellos, no mark! She sighed, climbing out of the hole. If she was going to make it back to the inn before nightfall, she would have to hurry.
Xellos watched her leave, smiling, "April Fools Filia. April Fools."
~*~*~*~
It was wonderfully dark night. The ebony sky was broken only by the silver stars twinkling, and one tiny sliver of moon.
Xellos sat alone in the inn, sipping some hot chocolate and nibbling at a few cookies. He felt he had had a pretty successful day. He had played all his pranks without a hitch, and all he had to do to complete the LARGEST prank of all was to wait until midnight.
His keen hearing picked up two voices, and he smiled. "Amelia and Zelgadis? Let the chaos begin!"
"THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT ZELGADIS-SAN!"
"MY fault? YOU'RE the one who nearly drowned me!"
"I did no such thing! But YOU pushed me into a bath of spaghetti and meatballs!"
"I never did!"
The both walked into the dining area, and the Mysterious Priest smiled his broadest grin, "Long day?"
They both glared at him, and Zelgadis spoke through clenched teeth, "Not now Xellos. This is NOT the time. Unless you want your fruity little brains all over the wall, you will shut up while we wait for Lina, Gourry, and Filia."
"While YOU wait for them," Amelia corrected. "Because YOU say this is all Xellos' fault. You just can't admit that you broke my heart with your stupid prank!"
"If you already know that I'm guilty, why don't you leave?" The Chimera snarled.
"Because I can't wait for Lina-san to wipe the FLOOR with you!"
"You won't have to wait long!" Xellos giggled, "I do believe I hear our beloved sorceress and her blonde bodyguard now!"
That came as no surprise. EVERYONE could hear the two as the came in, arguing with one another.
"Lina, I swear, I DO NOT know what you're talking about!"
"Then, let me repeat it for you, melon head. You tried to be a BIG hero, and then left me to those ruffians, who robbed me of my gold. and. and dressed me up in this thing! I LOOK LIKE FREAKIN' NAGA!"
"But Lina, I already TOLD you! I was being chased around by that freak that thinks I'm a woman! I couldn't have done it!"
"BUT YOU WEREN'T ASKED BY A LITTLE KID WHY A MAN WAS WEARING A WOMAN'S BIKINI!"
The Trickster Priest felt chills of pleasure run down his spine. All this arguing was delicious. He greeted the two as the walked in, "OH! Lina and Gourry, you both look so great! Did you help each other shop today?"
It took all three of the others who were present to keep Lina from Dragon Slaving him, and Zelgadis hissed, "Only Filia to wait for before we deal with this fruitcake."
The sorceress hissed, "I have to deal with jellyfish brain first."
Gourry was going to protest his innocence, again, but the Chimera stopped any further arguments, "You can wait Lina. We HAVE to know what really happened first! THEN you can beat up Gourry if you want. Or Gourry could beat you up. Whichever."
That seemed to pacify them both, much to Xellos' disappointment. Still, the Chimera had a point. 'He'll probably end up making a fine lawyer. or a marriage councilor.'
So, the warrior in pink and the bikini-sporting sorceress sat down, taking a glance at the sauce-stained princess and the waterlogged Chimera. Wisely, no one said anything.
Filia walked in a few moments later, her happy expression vanishing as Amelia asked, "What's the 'LS' on your face mean, Filia-san?"
She screamed, her eyes automatically darting to Xellos who smiled in response, "Hello Lizard of Darkness. Did you have a nice day?"
The Golden Dragon grabbed her mace, and she went to harm the smiling joker when Zelgadis intervened, "No! Stop now! We are GOING TO HANDLE THIS IN A CIVILIZED MANNER!"
The others blinked, and Zelgadis sighed, "Please, everyone, I want to make sure the right party gets punished for all this. Now, we will ALL share the experiences of the day, and try to figure out what these stupid letters mean."
Xellos suddenly found a bit of respect for the Chimera. No one else had managed to figure out that they all had letters, and that they just MIGHT mean something. 'Must be the demon in him.'
Amelia started, "Zelgadis-san came and told me he loved me, and then he pushed me into a big bath of spaghetti and meatballs!"
Xellos laughed, "On top of spaghetti, all covered with cheese. I saw Amelia. sink when she sneezed."
Zelgadis glared at him, and the Priest gave a nervous laugh, "Sorry! I was inspired!"
The Chimera sighed, "Whatever. Anyway, I was resting underneath a tree when Amelia came over and told me she loved Xellos and they were going to be married. To make a long story short, I saved her from drowning and tripped into the river, and I nearly drowned."
The Trickster sent Amelia a glance, giving a false gasp, "Oh Amelia-chan! I thought I asked you not to tell anyone our little secret!"
The Princess blushed, and the purple-haired Mazoku turned to Zelgadis, "You know, I can always dump her so that she brings her broken heart to YOU for mending, Zelgadis. if you want."
The Chimera growled, and it was with great effort that he turned to Gourry. "How about you next?"
"Well, after Lina got mad at me when I fell asleep at a musical, I went wandering around. Lina found me and told me she wanted the two of us to go to a spa together. I went, found this robe, and because I had no other choice, I put it on. Then. that. PERVERT who thinks I'm a woman came and chased me around the city!"
Seeing he was near tears, the others comforted him as best they could, even Xellos. "Gourry. have you ever wondered if you were MEANT to be a man?"
The blonde swordsman turned to him, his eye twitching as the Demon Priest continued, "I mean, you're hair is SOOO long, like Rapunzel or something, and you DO look so good in pink!"
Lina sighed, crossing her arms across her chest, "Don't get mad Gourry. He's trying to get to you. Anyway, my story is short. I went to a coffee shop and ate 6 dozen doughnuts. Gourry met me in the café and told me about a magic shop that was going out of business. I brushed him off, then felt bad and chased after him. A group of bandits tried to rob me, and trying to help, yogurt brain knocked me out with his sword. Then, I woke up dressed in this, and my purse of gold was gone."
She sat back in her chair, shrieking when she felt someone drape a cloak over her shoulders, and the trickster gave a giggle, "I thought you would appreciate a little cover, Lina-san. After all, we don't want anyone of those STRANGE men in here to make even stranger advances towards you, right?"
Filia quickly, thanks to Zelgadis intervention, told her story, "I was by the forest, and I saw a Golden Dragon named Sellox. Xellos came and destroyed him, and then marked me for a-a. a lost soul. and he said he would destroy me."
The Mazoku Priest, having reappeared in his own place, smiled at her, "Ah, but if I did that, who would be around to hit me over the head with a mace? I AM a masochist after all, and it feels SO nice to be smashed to a pulp."
The rest of the group ignored him, and Lina made an observation, "So, except for Filia, we STILL don't know what the letters mean!"
Gourry gave a snore, and Filia shook him on the shoulder. Amelia sighed, "But one thing we CAN agree on is this is Xellos' fault."
She turned to Zelgadis, having thought up (very quickly) an apology, but his face made her stop. His eyes were closed, his breathing shallow, and it was obvious that he was thinking, turning over all the facts to try and decipher the mysteries of the letters.
Gourry snored, even though the Golden Dragon continued to try and wake him. He turned his head, half-whimpering as he spoke, "But Mommy. CAT can be spelled out of the letters 'A', 'T', and 'C' too. not just ACT."
Zelgadis' eyes flew open, and he leapt to his feet. "THAT'S IT! GOURRY! YOU'RE A GENIUS!"
THAT made even Xellos jump, and the Chimera quickly explained, "All of these letters have to be put into a certain order to form a word or words."
"How do we know the order?" Filia asked.
"Yeah, there must be hundreds of combinations," Lina added.
Xellos raised a finger, "120 to be exact."
"That's still a lot," Gourry grumbled.
"It would be if we had to try all 120 combinations," Zelgadis agreed. "But we don't."
The others echoed him, "We DON'T?"
"Nope," The Chimera chuckled, stretching. "Because the order is able to be found from logic."
"Amelia is first in the line of 5, because her prank occurred right after we all split up. Filia was with me, and Gourry was with Lina. Second is Gourry, because Filia and I were still together and Lina was in a coffee shop. Third is me, because Lina was STILL in a coffee shop, and Filia saw the sunset, making her last. That leaves Lina in the fourth place."
Seeing the others blink in confusion, Zelgadis sighed and took out a piece of paper and a pen. "I'm going to write down the letters. AP, then RI, then LF, then OO, then LS."
He held the paper triumphantly, his voice ringing along with the clock, "It says. APRIL FOOLS!"
The clock's sound died, to be replaced by Xellos' clapping, "You have impeccable timing Zel-san!"
That was when Zelgadis realized he was not wet anymore. And Amelia was not orange; the scratches on Filia were gone. And, most importantly, Lina and Gourry were clothed normally.
"W-what just happened?" Amelia whispered.
No one answered, except the Chimera, as all eyes were turned towards him. "I. don't know."
The purple-haired jester giggled, explaining, "April Fools Day is at an end, and so are my pranks. I marked you all with the letters so that you could not get revenge on me. Now you have to wait a whole year. before you can even try!"
The group face-faulted as he rang a waiter, "May I have some more hot chocolate please?"
THE END
Author's Note: I do not own any of these characters. I do not believe in any couples other than Lina and Gourry. Zelgadis does NOT love Amelia, and Xellos does NOT love Filia, and vice-versa for the Dragon-Demon pair. Likewise I do not do any YAOI or YURI pairings. Since Lina and Gourry are the ONLY official couple other than Martina and Zonglous, I do not recognize any other. Please do not flame me if I have put something in here that offends you. You may send suggestions, because I AM interested in what you have to say, but please do not fault me for my writing. Please do not ask me why I did not include couples other than Gourry and Lina. I realize NOW that Amelia's worst fear is fish, and that Filia is not the last of the Golden Dragons. I beg forgiveness for my ignorance, but the story flows so nicely that I will not change either of these things. If you cannot tell, I am a rabid fangirl of Xellos, with Zelgadis in second place. I think I made that fairly obvious. but that's mainly why they have larger roles in the fic than anyone else.
Sincerely, Quicksilver
Chibi: *looks at a calendar* You DO realize that it's June, right Quick? Aqua: Yeah, April was two months ago! Quick: Well. I wasn't thinking of writing a Slayers Fanfiction two months ago. I just came up with this idea for crying out loud. Chibi: So, what's this fic about anyway? Aqua: *clings to Quick's arm* Tis a nice clean fic, ne? Quick: *gives Aqua a Zelgadis plushie to cling to instead* Yes, of course it is. To answer Chibi, our favorite Trickster Priest decides to play some HARMLESS Chibi and Aqua: *cough hack* Harmless? *hack cough* Quick: Yes, HARMLESS little pranks on his traveling companions. It is April Fools Day after all. Now, on with the story. Aqua and Chibi: *facefault* Oyt. x_x
~*~*~*~
The sun was shining, not a cloud in the sky. Not too hot, not too cold. A day when picnics and general frolicking seemed in order. Xellos sighed, 'What a miserable day.'
He leaned back in his chair, lacing his hands behind his head as he watched his companions order lunch. Although nothing interesting was happening yet, he knew it was only a matter of time before something did. Meal times were always entertaining; if no argument occurred naturally, one could always be started.
The General-Priest smirked as Lina motioned for the waiter. 'Let the fun begin.'
"I see the special today is spaghetti and meatballs. Tell me," Lina almost purred, her crimson eyes narrowing. "Is it any good?"
"Yes ma'am. One of the best items on our menu. No one's ever complained."
The sorceress chuckled, slamming her fist onto the table, "Good! I won't bother to order by number of plates; just give me the whole pot. If I need more, I will call you."
"Oh, that sounds good. Can I have that too?" Gourry asked.
The waiter gulped, "So, you want two WHOLE pots of spaghetti." His fingers shook slightly as he forced a smile, "Is there anything else I can get for you?"
Xellos giggled, enjoying the nervousness of the waiter, "Nothing for me. You'll have enough trouble keeping up with Lina and Gourry as it is!"
Zelgadis spoke quietly from his corner, "Tea for me."
Filia nodded, "Tea for me as well."
That only left Amelia, and she ordered nothing more than a sandwich.
Lina glanced at her, "Are you sure that's all you want, Amelia? You usually prefer hot food."
The girl grimaced, her normally happy expression one of hate, "The only hot food here is spaghetti and meatballs, WHICH I HATE MORE THAN ALL THE INJUSTICE IN THE UNIVERSE!"
That made the group's ears perk. Many a time they had heard hours upon hours of what the Princess liked or loved. This was something new.
"Now. what did the innocent pasta and dead cow ever do to earn such hatred?" Xellos asked, his normal smile broadening as Amelia blushed.
"Yes. you must tell us!" Lina urged, her curiosity almost overcoming her hunger.
"Oh, it's not important! It's actually quite silly," The Princess stammered, wishing she had never said anything at all.
"Then you should have no trouble telling us," Filia observed, tapping her mace absently against her leg.
Gourry blinked, "Tell us what?"
The others ignored him, and a wave of purple hair fell before Amelia's eyes as Xellos floated, upside down, into view, "Come on! Tell us! It'll make you feel better! Besides, if you don't tell us, then I'll just have to force you to. And you wouldn't like that, right?" He opened his eyes to heliotrope slits, and his words held a hidden hint of menace.
Only Zelgadis seemed to notice, and he sent the Mazuko an icy glance. However, before anything else could be said, the food arrived.
"You can tell us after we eat!" Lina said before attacking her food with gusto.
"Ditto!" Gourry echoed her movements, and soon the rest of the traveling circus witnessed their disappearing act.
Xellos reappeared in his seat, and if he was upset about not getting to hear the secret immediately, it did not show in his wide smile, "My money's on Lina to finish first. Who agrees?"
"I don't know," Filia paused from sipping her tea to send an unfriendly stare at the demon. "Gourry seems to be holding his own."
He returned her gaze with his usual smile, "Do I hear the last of the Golden Dragons putting her money where her mouth is?"
She snarled, slamming her leather purse on the table, "You're on!"
Zelgadis sighed, adding sugar to his tea as Amelia shook her finger at the two, "You should be ashamed of yourselves! We haven't even been sitting down to eat for an hour, and already you two are on the verge of fighting!"
Filia did not speak again, and Xellos giggled, watching Lina and Gourry. The Dragon Maiden did have a point; the golden haired swordsman WAS holding his own against Lina. Not that it mattered much to him. What were a few pieces of gold in exchange for getting a rise out of both Filia and Amelia at once?
The servant of Xellas thought he could feel shards of icy hate stabbing him, and when he glanced up, he was actually rather surprised to see that it was Zelgadis who emitted the death gaze. Now that he thought about it, he realized that the Chimera had been sending him more watchful looks today then usual. The trickster could not think of anything particularly horrible he had done to the wearer of the stone skin of late. So, the question was, why was Zelgadis watching him so closely?
'Two secrets in one day. that's unusual', Xellos thought as he feigned interest in the tug-of-war Lina and Gourry were having after the last meatball. He sent a smile to Filia as Lina won, enjoying the anger and dislike he felt rising from his foe.
Before he could taunt her, Filia threw the bag of gold to him. He caught it, tucking it into his sleeve, and he turned his eyes to the Princess Amelia. He felt it was high time to learn her secret. And he wasn't the only one.
"Okay! Time to learn why our expert on justice and love hates spaghetti," Lina announced, wiping her mouth with a napkin.
In an instant, all eyes rested on the young girl, who fidgeted uncomfortably. She knew there was no point in resisting, so she told her tale as quickly as possible, "I had a babysitter who could cook nothing but spaghetti. She made it every time she stayed to watch me, which was often. One night I had a nightmare where I was drowning in a sea of pasta and sauce. And I DO NOT want to hear about it ever again!"
The rest of the group blinked, and Filia laid a hand on the Princess's shoulder, "Don't worry, Amelia. We're all friends here, and you can trust us. Well, all but one of us, but I'm sure we can protect you from HIS teasing."
Xellos could feel their eyes turn to him, and he gave a look of mock amazement, "Me? You mean ME? Would I betray such trust? Tsk, tsk. I thought you all KNEW me better than that!"
Gourry looked up, "What were we talking about again?"
Lina gave an enraged shriek, and Amelia and Filia leapt to try and protect Gourry from her anger. Xellos barely contained a laugh, savoring the conflict. It ended far too soon for his tastes, and it was only after every one had settled down that he noticed Zelgadis was watching him again.
The opportunity was too good, and the violet-haired demon smirked, "See something you like, Zelgadis?"
The Chimera growled, "In your dreams, Mazoku!"
"My dreams. or yours?"
The taunt had its desired effect; Zelgadis' growl deepened and his eyes flashed with hatred.
Filia gave a delicate cough, "Why HAVE you been watching him so close lately?"
"What? Afraid he'll take over your duties to destroy me for the sake of the world?" Xellos teased.
"SHUT UP! I want to hear what Zel has to say!" Lina hissed.
Gourry blinked, "Can Zelgadis continue now? We really should be going if we're going to make it to Sailoon by the end of the day."
Amelia whispered to him, "But Gourry, that's where we are NOW!"
"Oh."
Lina tapped her foot impatiently, "Well, Zel? We're waiting."
"Don't any of you know what day it is?" The Chimera demanded.
The fiery-headed sorceress rolled her eyes, "It's Friday. So?"
Zelgadis sighed, "No. no. I mean the date. It's April the first. April Fools Day. And I assumed that our very own Trickster Priest here would try to pull some pranks on us."
He crossed his stone arms, frowning, "And just because he hasn't so far doesn't mean he isn't going to."
Then, everyone erupted into speech at once, except for Xellos, who was too stunned to speak. His mind was racing, but he could still hear bits and pieces of what was going on around him.
"Oh, Zelgadis-san! Protect M-"
"AMELIA! GET OFF OF M-"
"But Lina, I really DON'T see how we jumped from talking about spaghetti to talking about Xel-"
"YOU ARE IMPOSSIBLE GOURRY!"
They all faded from the hearing of the General-Priest, but Xellos never realized that he had ceased to listen. His mind was racing with many thoughts. Today? The day of pranks was TODAY?! And he hadn't remembered? No. it wasn't possible. He NEVER forgot April Fools Day! But he had. and the day was already half over! He didn't have anything planned. What was he going to do?
Lost in the labyrinth of his own thoughts, the Mazoku did not realize that his eyes were wide open, and he was frowning in thought. His true self was peering through unconsciously and uncontrolled, and what finally made him realize it was Filia's frightened voice, "W-why are you looking at me like that?"
He snapped to attention, changing his frown to a smile, but he did not close his glittering purple eyes. He licked his lips as the Golden Dragon backed away, tasting her fear, "Hmm. I suppose you'll never know."
He then disappeared, not caring what consequences might result amongst the group. He needed to plan.
~*~*~*~
Amelia sat alone in the inn, upstairs in the room they had rented for the girls. After Xellos had disappeared, Zelgadis and Filia had immediately gone to search for him. As she sat brushing her hair, she did not know which one she thought hated the priest more. Not that it mattered much; if Xellos did not want to be found, he would not be found. Young and foolish as she was, even Amelia knew that.
Lina and Gourry had been determined not to let anything spoil the rest of their afternoon, so they had gone off into the city to see what there was to see. That was fine with the Princess. Those two needed to be alone to realize how much they truly loved one another. Amelia knew that too.
The Princess had a much tighter hold on reality than most people thought she did. Oh, sure, she gave speeches about justice and love, but she DID realize that injustice and hate existed too. Why didn't anybody realize that?
She brooded while she sat in her chair, and she leaned back to think about it. Obviously the day's travels had tired her out more than she thought, because though she didn't mean to, she soon feel asleep.
A pair of purple eyes gazed upon her sleeping form, and Xellos giggled, "They left little Amelia alone? THAT was not overly bright of them."
He gave his staff a little twirl, and he thought aloud, "My first victim. and what shall I do to her? Hmm. hmmm." He seemed to consider it for a bit, and he stopped playing with his staff to smile, "Oh no! It's too cruel, too gruesome! I'll do it."
~*~*~*~
Amelia woke to the sounds of someone playing a guitar and humming outside her window. She looked out, and her eyes widened. 'No. it can't be!'
But it was. Down on the ground, Zelgadis was tuning his instrument. When the Princess poked her head out of the window, he smiled and began to sing.
"After running up a gentle slope you should rest for a while and sit on the hill. Even the birds that sing while flying through the expansive sky... Look, even they rest their wings and sleep."
"Let's walk unhurriedly and patiently. Let ourselves be guided by 'flashes' or chance happenings. Everyone shalalala lala And continue our respective journeys under the same sun for the sake of the happiness and chance meetings for us that tomorrow holds."
The Princess felt tears of joy rise in her eyes, and though she didn't know how the Chimera saw them, she knew he must have as he continued, "Whether you're sad or you're happy your falling tears are very beautiful. If you accept your true feelings and are honest to your own heart you will no longer have anything to worry about."
"Both the stars that fall mysteriously and the cold wind... Secretly, nature conveys an important message. Someday shalalala lala I want to whisper privately to you the secret that I have hidden...
"I will always stay with you and look after you from behind. Everyone shalalala lala And continue our respective journeys under the same sun. I will always stay with you and look after you from behind. Someday shalalala lala I want to whisper privately to you the secret that I have hidden..."
"I will always stay with you and look after you from behind."
Amelia blushed as the Chimera serenaded her, and she believed it was a miracle. After all this time of showing him how much she cared, he was returning her feelings. Oh, how she loved him.
"Hark, what light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Amelia is the sun."
This made the Princess blush even more, and she called back, "There's no need to think up such pretty words for me. You don't have to win my heart. It already belongs to you!"
Zelgadis smiled shyly, "Then, will you come with me, to any place I wish to take you? Trust me enough to leave this inn, without telling anyone where you're going? I have something I want to tell you, need to tell you. but I can't speak here."
The young girl felt her heart beat faster, and she nodded eagerly. 'Can it be. will he finally admit that he loves me?' She floated down to the ground, and accepted the arm the Chimera offered her with a smile.
It felt good to walk with him in public. Amelia sighed. It was probably all just another of her dreams. but it was such a nice dream. It was so real, felt so right, and if this was a hallucination, she did not wish to return to reality.
Zelgadis led her to an abandoned bathhouse, and although it was covered with dust, the sunlight pouring from the windows made it seem beautiful. He laid his cloak on the ground near one of the baths, beckoning for her to sit on it.
As she complied with his wish, the stone being began to pace, his words coming out after some hesitation, "Amelia. I don't know how to make this beautiful or heartwarming or. or romantic, so I'll just say it. I love you. I think I always have loved you."
Amelia opened her mouth to speak, but in a heartbeat, Zelgadis was at her side, his finger on her lips, "No. let me finish. You were the only one who could see through my stone skin to my soul. the only one never to look at me with fear, or pity, or hate. I was blind not to see this."
With demon speed he pulled her into an embrace, holding her back to look into her eyes, "I don't want to lose that. I don't every want to lose YOU. I suppose what I'm asking, hoping, wanting, needing, is for you to say you will be mine, now and forever."
The Princess felt tears of joy spring to her eyes, and for once, she had no words to say. She looked away, unable to tolerate the intense, fierce love she saw in Zelgadis' sapphire eyes. Was this some kind of cruel joke? Would her dream end now and leave her to cold, lonely reality?
She felt a cold hand cup her chin, and she soon found herself gazing into the glowing blue orbs of the Chimera once more before he kissed her, passionately, on the lips.
Amelia broke the kiss, sobbing as she spoke, "Oh Zelgadis! Nothing would bring me more pleasure! And with our powerful love uniting us, we will be the ultimate champions of justice! We will scour the countryside of bandits, and clean the mph mph!"
Zelgadis had placed his other hand on her mouth, a smile curving at the sides of his mouth, "I'll take that as a yes."
He kissed her twice on the forehead, and leaned forward to whisper into her ear, "April Fools."
Amelia's eyes widened when he pushed her into the empty bath. But it wasn't empty anymore. She fell into something warm, sticky. and noodley?
It didn't take long for her to scream. She was in a bath full of spaghetti and meatballs! She struggled to swim out, but she was weighed down by the pasta and sauce. She looked at Zelgadis in horror before slipping below the surface, and into unconsciousness.
The Chimera on the bank giggled, and if anyone had heard that laugh, they would have instantly known who it was.
Xellos transformed to his natural self, and he made the pool empty and clean, using his magic to bring the unconscious, and now orange-colored Amelia, to rest in the her former sitting spot.
He brushed his gloved hand on her forehead, smiling to see the letters 'AP', written in flowing, green script, glowing where he had kissed her.
The Mazoku gave his staff a slight twirl, "Who next? Ah yes, Gourry!"
~*~*~*~
Gourry was wandering around the city, a strawberry ice cream cone, half- eaten, in his hand. He took another like from his treat, and he wondered just what else there was to do in this town.
Lina had dragged him to watch some musical, and he had barely escaped a good fireballing when she had found out that he had slept through most of it.
So, he had explored on his own, but so far he had found nothing of interest. He had participated in a story-telling contest at a local bar, and he had even stayed to help with the bar room brawl that inevitably broke out.
Now he thought he would just go back to the inn. He thought about going look for Lina first, but she was probably still mad at him. He couldn't understand why she had gotten mad at him in the first place; if he wanted to sleep through a production of singing and dancing cats, then why shouldn't he?
"GOURRY!"
Lina's voice made the swordsman turn around, and sure enough, the redheaded sorceress was behind him. She held a soft-serve chocolate vanilla swirl ice cream cone in one hand, and she waved with the other.
When she had finally caught up, she took a lick of her ice cream and smiled, "I finally found you! Where are you headed?"
"I was going back to the inn. Uh, you're not still mad at me about that show thing, are you Lina?" Gourry asked, wondering why she was so happy.
She laughed, "Oh course not! Why should I be upset over such a little thing? I DO have a place I was hoping you would take me though."
The blonde was still puzzled, but he asked, "Where?"
Lina fluttered her eyelashes at him, flirtingly, "There's a spa called the Silver Moon nearby. I was thinking we could go, relax, and spend some. quality time together."
Gourry blinked, "A spa? TOGETHER? Isn't that a little, I dunno, inappropriate?"
The look Lina sent him seemed to indicate that's what she had in mind. She ran the fingers of her free hand through his long blonde hair teasingly, "What? We're both adults. and we're friends! Nothing's gonna happen, and if it does, it won't be unless we both want it to!"
The swordsman gulped, blushing furiously, "I suppose so. and if you really want me to take you there, I will."
The sorceress smiled, "Good! I'll see you there in a few minutes."
Gourry nodded, and he began to search for the Silver Moon. His conscience was bothering him; should he really, he being a man and Lina being a woman, accompany Lina to that spa?
He thought about it. He loved Lina, more than even she realized, and he would do nothing to harm her or disgrace her. Her knew that. And if this was her way of expressing herself, why shouldn't he go? Nothing unexpected, or unwanted was going to happen!
With his mind blissfully clear, its usual state, Gourry walked into the door of the Silver Moon.
He asked for directions to the dressing room, and received them. When he was halfway there, he suddenly realized something. He had no robe!
'Ah well. these big places always have a spare. and if not, someone is BOUND to have forgotten one!' So, feeling rather proud of himself for finding the solution to a problem logically, Gourry opened the door and stepped into the deserted dressing room.
Had anyone been around to listen, they would have heard a blood-curdling scream. But no one was there, so the cry was in vain, and the blonde swordsman looked at the object that had warranted the scream, withdrawing the Sword of Light.
"No. no. it can't be!" But it was.
There was only one robe in the dressing room. It was pink. It was frilly. And it looked much much much MUCH too much like a certain dress that Gourry had tried long and hard to forget. On the right side, sewed with white thread, were the letters 'RI'. Undoubtedly the initials of the last owner.
Now, Gourry realized he was in quite a pickle. He wanted to spend time with Lina doing something she wanted to do. But, he could not, WOULD not, wear this robe!
Then, he had a thought. Was this Lina's twisted idea of a joke? Maybe he was meant to find this robe, and the fiery haired sorceress WANTED him to be embarrassed.
Well. he would show her! He would swallow his pride and wear the stupid robe. Then, when she realized that she wasn't going to get a laugh out of him, he would find some equally nasty joke to play on her!
He liked this plan.
So, he slipped into the prissy pink garment and stepped out into the hallway, running into another man. "I beg your pardon. AHHHHHHHHH!!!"
Now, anyone who knew Gourry Gabriev knew that he was a man of action, a man of courage. So, what was it that made him scream in horror and run in a different direction?
"LALA, MY LOVE! COME BACK!"
"I'm a MAN you fool! A MAAAAAAANNNN!!!"
Xellos watched from the air, giggling as he continued to eat his ice cream. "April Fools Gourry, April Fools."
~*~*~*~
Zelgadis sat beneath a tree near a river, taking a small break from his pursuit of the purple-haired Mazoku priest. He had not honestly expected to find Xellos, but he figured searching for him couldn't hurt.
The Chimera was not at all ashamed to show exactly what he felt for the trickster, deep, pure, hate. He reflected now that maybe that was why Xellos teased him so much; he was an easy snack.
Not that Zelgadis much cared. All he was concerned about was what nasty surprises the Demon might pull out on his friends. He would do whatever it took to protect them, and he realized this as he stretched. 'But not right now.'
The sun felt exceedingly good on his blue flesh, warm and comfortable. He closed his eyes, basking like a cat. All he needed was a good, hot cup of tea, and life would be wonderful.
"ZELGADIS!"
He sighed, 'Speaking of which. here comes Amelia.'
Zelgadis knew that Amelia had a crush on him, the same as half the world did. He saw it in the shy smiles she sent to him, the adoring eyes, the blushes that appeared when he spoke to her.
He also knew that he would never feel anything more for her than friendship. He could not love anyone more. Since he had been cursed, he had had trouble developing deep feelings for people. It had always been his personal opinion that when Rezo had turned his skin to stone, his heart had turned to stone as well.
Of course, the golem part of him was not necessarily the culprit. Maybe it was the demon in him that was to blame. It gave him the speed to run away in the blink of an eye, perhaps it made him run from his feelings as well. Then again, it could also just as easily have been his human skepticism. The one girl he had thought he truly loved had turned out to be a man, and Zelgadis was not THAT way.
Regardless of what held him back from love, the Chimera knew he would never love Amelia, and probably never love anyone else. He hoped the Princess realized that soon.
"ZEGLADIS! WHERE ARE YOU?!"
Her voice was nearer now, and he decided to make her search easier, "Over here Amelia!"
A few seconds passed before the Princess appeared, panting a little from her walk. She caught her breath, and then graced Zelgadis with a dazzling smile. "There you are! I have some exciting news!"
"Lina and Gourry were having another eating contest and offended some people, and now we have to go help and fight?"
Amelia shook her head, "Nope! It's something much more exciting, though probably more unexpected, than that!"
Zelgadis raised an eyebrow, "Well? Are you going to stand there bubbling over with happiness so obvious that it would make Xellos sick, or are you going to tell me your news?"
The cheerful girl giggled, "Funny you should mention Xellos. He's the reason I came to see you!"
The Chimera leapt to his feet, grabbing her by her shoulders, "You know where he is?"
The Princess nodded, "Of course. He's been with me all day!"
Zelgadis' mouth dropped, and she continued, "That's why I came out looking for you. I wanted to tell you that Xellos and I are going to be married!"
The chimera pushed the girl back to stare at her. Who was this before him? Certainly not Amelia. She feared the Mysterious Priest, not LOVED him!
The Princess saw his look and laughed, "Oh. I know what you must be thinking. How can I love him when I swore I would love you forever?"
She clasped her hands under her chin, and her eyes shone like stars, "The truth is. I don't know how I didn't see it before! The cunning little smile he always wears, his wonderful, jewel-like eyes. his hair, soft as a violet petal, and exactly the same color. I must have been blind not to see it! But when he came to me today and told me that he loved me, I realized that I loved him back."
She smiled again, "A lovely wedding back home. with Daddy and all of my dear friends around me. And who knows, some day you may find little purple- eyed Amelias on the throne!"
Zelgadis stared at the ecstatic Amelia, horror and terror in his eyes. 'That damned Mazoku. he's placed some sort of spell on her. And with Amelia under his control. he could have access to one of the most powerful white magic cities in the world! And poor, misguided girl. she'll follow him like a lap dog, never giving anyone all the love and devotion she has to someone who deserves it! HE WILL DIE!'
No, the Chimera did not love Amelia, but he had a fierce, intense loyalty for his friends. He would fight to the death for them, and Amelia was not exception.
Wrapped up in his thoughts, he did not realize that he was ever tightening his grip on the girl's shoulders until she groaned, "Zelgadis. you're hurting me!"
Zelgadis snarled, but loosened his fingers slightly before speaking, "Amelia, tell me you're just playing some kind of April Fools joke on me when you say you love that purple-haired fruitcake!"
This made the Princess gasp, and she jerked away from the Chimera's hands, her smile vanishing. "H-how can you talk about my fiancé that way? I thought you would be happy for me, but I guess now I know you're just jealous!
Zelgadis shook his head, "You know better than that. I don't want Xellos to use you. I'm your friend, and you KNOW you can trust me. Can you say the same for your future husband?"
Amelia opened her mouth to speak, then reconsidered her angry words and closed her eyes. "I understand Zelgadis-san. But I'm a big girl now, and I can take care of myself."
The Chimera lost whatever control he still had on his temper, and he grabbed her arm, his blue eyes blazing with the fire of anger, "No, you are a foolish child who thinks a cold-hearted demon can love her. You are allowing some fantasy of finding your true love overcome your common sense. You are FAR from able to take care of yourself!"
He ceased his roaring, and closed the twin flames that were his eyes, calming himself down, "Amelia. I will make a deal with you. Will you stay around to hear it, or will I have to continue holding your arm because you will run?"
Amelia sighed, "I will stay. as I have no choice. You could catch me if I tried to run anyway."
Zelgadis opened his eyes, releasing her and beginning to speak, "I plan on taking you and finding Lina, and from there we will both take you to someone who will be able to tell if you have a spell cast on you or not, and if so, how to break it." "Let me finish," he said, seeing that she was going to interrupt him. "If both Lina and this other person say that you are under no form of spell, then you can ride away with Xellos on a milk white steed or whatever other thing you wish to do, and I will come to the wedding."
"And if they find a spell, you want me to undergo whatever treatment is necessary to break it?" Amelia asked, unable to remain silent anymore.
"Yes. That. and you won't protest whenever I go and kill that purple-eyed freak!"
The Princess' eyes widened, and she took a step back, "No. you're raving with jealousy. You'll convince Lina that something is wrong, a-and you'll FORCE my love for Xellos away. I won't do it!"
The Chimera sighed, "Then, you leave me no choice but to knock you unconscious and bring you that way. I promise you that I won't force anyone to remove your love if it truly exists."
Amelia hissed, "Stay away from you Stone creep!" Then, despite what she had said earlier, she ran.
Zelgadis knew she was terrified of him, and he really didn't want to hurt her, so he did not catch her. Instead, he ran fast enough to not lose her. He figured one of two things was bound to happen: Amelia would either collapse from exhaustion or run herself into a natural trap.
The frightened princess ran, but every time she looked back, the Chimera was right behind her. That made her try to run faster, and she suddenly spied a fallen log leading across the river. With a cry, she leapt for it, and miraculously landed on her feet.
Zelgadis stopped at the edge of the bank, staring at the viciously stirrings of the river before him. This was one of the most violent parts of the river, and the Chimera cursed his golem part. Even when he had been human he would have thought twice about crossing, but at least he would have been able to try without fear of automatic drowning.
Amelia saw his hesitance, and she began to cross the bridge, "HA! Guess I was too smart for yo-!"
Zelgadis gasped as she tripped, and the girl screamed, holding onto the log with all her strength, "Help! Zelgadis-san. I don't want to be swept away by the river and have my body float to some horrible place!"
The Chimera looked at his frightened friend, and then he looked at the water. 'Water. my worst enemy.' He sighed, knowing what he was going to do. But he wouldn't like it. "Hold on Amelia!"
He placed a foot cautiously on the log. It seemed steady, and soon he was walking towards the Princess. 'One foot in front of the other.' After what seemed an eternity, he was beside Amelia. Sweat trickled down his face, and his breathing was ragged as he battled his hydrophobia. "Give me your hand, and I will pull you up."
She whimpered, but obeyed his firm command, and in a moment, she was dripping wet, standing next to the Chimera.
She shivered, and Zelgadis sighed, beginning to remove his cloak, "Here. This should help you from being too cold."
"Oh, Zelgadis-san, thank you! You were so brave!"
The Chimera gave a surprised cry when she glomped him, and he instinctively jerked away. He lost his footing and fell into the river with a tremendous splash.
Amelia laughed placing her hands on her hips, "Any minute now, he'll come up sputtering for air!"
So, she waited. And waited. and waited. Cursing silently, Xellos resumed his own form, and he used his staff to fish the waterlogged Chimera out of the river, "I forgot he couldn't resurface. Being part golem makes him sink like a rock!" He grabbed Zelgadis' arms and phased out, reappearing on the bank of the river.
The Trickster Priest stretched, enjoying the soreness of his shoulder muscles, and addressing the unconscious being at his feet, "April Fools, Zelgadis! I truly thank you for reminding me of the date, though I'm sure YOU regret it now!"
He pulled some kelp from the river, using it to arrange the letters 'LF' on the Chimera's back. He paused, studying his handiwork, and then stood, stretching once more. "Lina and Filia are the only two that remain. Mustn't start being a slacker!"
~*~*~*~
Lina Inverse felt very guilty. She found that she often did after she unleashed her temper at Gourry. It wasn't his fault he had been born dumb as a pound of mayonnaise. So why did she continue to yell or hit him if it made her feel bad?
After thinking about it over some coffee, and about three dozen doughnuts, the sorceress decided that releasing her anger felt good. Yes, it felt much better than keeping it inside. And then, later on, her conscience repented.
Now that THAT was settled, what should she do about it? Another three dozen doughnuts held the solution to that question as well. She would go out, find the swordsman, and apologize.
"Hey Lina!"
The red-haired bandit killer looked up to see Gourry and laughed, "Well. speak of the Devil and he will appear."
Gourry blinked, "But Lina, I didn't hear you say anything about summoning a devil."
"Never mind," Lina said quickly, offering him a chair. "So, what's up?"
Gourry blinked again, counting on his fingers, "The sky, birds, butterflies, the ceiling, the fan attached to the ceiling. do you gave a headache?"
Lina had placed a hand on her forehead, and she looked up, forcing a smile, "No, I'm fine. Thank you for telling me all the things that are up. Now, what brings you here?"
Gourry smiled back at her, but his was his usual innocent smile, "I came to find you because I saw a magic shop that's going out of business, and I though you might be able to find some new spells or something there."
The sorceress closed her crimson eyes and snorted, "Gourry, if the shop had anything good, then it wouldn't be going out of business."
The blonde swordsman rose abruptly, his smile gone, and he turned to leave. "I thought you might be interested. Sorry if I wasted your time."
Lina was surprised to here the amount of pain in her friend's voice. As the door to the café she was slammed behind him, she realized that he may have taken most of the hours since she had left him trying to re-find her and give her the news. It was probably his way of trying to make up for the fact that he had made her mad, and what did she do? She turned around and threw it in his face.
She leapt from the table, and she yelled as she hit the street, "Gourry?!"
She did not see him as she looked out into the crowd, and she soon found herself utterly lost. She thought she caught a glimpse of Gourry from the corner of her eye, but when she walked down the alley she found she was wrong. It was a dead end.
"Well, well, well, what have we here?"
Lina spun around to see a small gang behind her. She hissed, "I'm just your average, every day magic user, and you don't want to get in my way!"
The leader sneered, "Of course not. All we want to do is rob you blind. If you give us the gold, there will be no trouble."
"There won't be any trouble now!"
The sorceress was surprised to hear Gourry's voice, but soon spotted the blonde swordsman behind the would-be robbers. "Gourry, how did you get there?"
"Simple, I jumped out the trash can!"
That made Lina, and the bandits, blink. Finally, Lina asked, "Gourry, what were you doing in the trashcan?"
The blonde swordsman blushed, "It was the only place I knew of that I could hide until you weren't mad at me anymore."
Before Lina could respond, Gourry made a spectacular, though totally unexpected, flip, standing between her and the bandits. "I am Gourry Gabriev, and I am this girl's guardian. I will use my Sword of Light to defeat you and keep her honor pure!"
He withdrew his sword, accidentally hitting Lina on the head. He blinked when he heard her cry out, turning to see her body on the ground, "Lina, this is no time for sleeping!"
The bandits blinked as he gave a giggle, kicking her gently in the ribs, "Oops. how clumsy of me. April Fools Lina!"
The bandit leader coughed, tapping his foot slightly, "Pardon me sir, but don't you think you could change back to normal and pay us now?"
Frigid, blue eyes stared at him, and the voice was amused, "What? Does it bother you to see someone disguised as someone else?"
"Not really. just. YOU."
The brought a chuckle, and Xellos complied, changing back to himself. "Hmmm. gold to pay you. Ah yes, I do have some."
He bent over Lina's body, removing her purse and tossing it to the leader, "Now, scat. My prank is not yet completed!"
"What kind of person are you, robbing her like that?"
The Mysterious Priest cocked his head, "Sore wa himitsu desu! Now, please, go. I'm sure you have MUCH more important things to be doing."
The evil smirk, accompanied by the sparkling amethyst eyes settled all arguments, and soon Xellos was alone with the unconscious girl.
He snapped his fingers, flashing various bikinis onto Lina in rapid succession before settling on a bright blue one, with flaming 'O's on both sides.
He purred, "Oh my! Oh my! The day has passed so quickly! And I still have dear Filia to torture!"
~*~*~*~
Filia's tail lashed about in her own annoyed fashion. Her entire afternoon had been wasted with her futile search for Xellos.
She cursed the violet-eyed monster with all her heart. He was her oldest, truest enemy, and it always made her blood boil to think of how she was stuck traveling with him.
He was watching her. he was always watching her, waiting for her guard to slip. On that day, Filia knew she would die. And there would be no more Golden Dragons.
She wondered if her friends knew how evil Xellos was. Had he ever showed them? She doubted it, and even though she had told them stories, it WAS hard to believe unless you had seen it with your own two eyes.
Filia sighed as she sat on the grass at the edge of the forest, and she wondered just what pranks would be played by the Trickster Priest. Because he WOULD play his pranks, and there was nothing any of them could do to stop him. They all had a weakness, a dream, a nightmare, an embarrassment that could be preyed upon.
'Prey.' The Dragon Priestess felt herself shiver, and she realized it was the right word. The whole world was prey to the evil that inhabited the Mazoku race. Let people say Filia was paranoid. She figured if they were the last of their kind that they would be paranoid too.
She glanced at the sky, surprised to see how late in the day it was. The sun was setting, dyeing the sky with reds and yellows, oranges and pinks. It was beautiful.
Filia watched a bird fly towards her. She was tempted to transform and share the sky with it. Then, she squinted, and she realized it was not a bird she was seeing. It was too big.
Her heart quickened as she recognized the outline. It was a dragon? 'But what kind?'
She waited impatiently for it to get closer, and she gasped at what she saw. Glinting, golden scales. 'Impossible. there are no more!'
Filia was still staring, mesmerized, as the great beast landed just a few yards away from her, and she turned away, in case he wished to take human form.
A few seconds passed, and Filia heard a soft, musical voice behind her, "Miss. who are you?"
The Dragon Maiden turned around. and fell in love. Her eyes roved over the man behind her, marveled at his long, golden hair, and his clear blue eyes. His clothing was white and trimmed with blue, and he had a tail just like hers.
She smiled at him, and she almost whispered, "I-I am Filia."
He blushed, offering a shy, secretive smile of his own as he spoke, "And. are you. a. a Golden Dragon?"
She giggled, feeling like a giddy idiot, "Yes. Yes, I am. And who are you?"
He shifted his downcast eyes to her face, and he murmured, "Sellox. until most recently, the last of the Golden Dragons."
Filia was speechless. She knew only joy. She wasn't alone! She didn't have to face that damned Mazoku alone! She stood perfectly still, too happy to move, and too shocked to speak.
Sellox had no such restraint placed upon him, and he embraced her, sobbing onto her shoulder, "Filia-chan. I wish I could tell you how happy I am. I was tired of being alone."
"Me too." 'L-sama. this feels so right.' The Priestess sighed, returning Sellox's hug. She felt warm and secure. like nothing could harm her. He was a barrier, shielding her from the evils of the world. She had nothing to fear.
"Awww. look how cute!"
Filia and Sellox immediately separated, and the male Golden Dragon stepped in front her as he whispered the unholy name, "Xellos."
"Correct!" The Mysterious Priest chirped with his perpetual cheer. He floated to the ground, pointing his staff at the two Dragons, "Tsk, tsk. The two of you were never supposed to meet. You were so much fun to annoy separately."
He walked around, tussling Sellox's shiny blonde hair, and sighing as the Golden Dragon winced. "Now I shall have to destroy one of you. Will it be Sellox here, or gentle Filia?"
He stopped playing with one Dragon's hair to pull on another's, and Filia gave a slight gasp of pain as her braid was tugged.
Sellox snarled, aiming to strike, but Xellos dodged easily, "My my! It seems that the male half of the Golden Dragon team has decided for me."
"NO!"
Sellox never heard Filia's cry. It only took one beam of crimson energy from Xellos' staff to completely obliterate him.
She fell to her knees, and the tears of joy that had sprung to her eyes now escaped as tears of hate and sorrow, "XELLOS! YOU MONSTER! I WILL NEVER FORGIVE YOU FOR THIS!" Her heart broke, and she buried her face in her hands to sob uncontrollably.
Filia heard her enemy laugh, and she felt the cold touch of a silken glove trace her jaw, "Have I asked you to forgive me, Dragon Priestess?"
She was too busy crying to respond, and Xellos cupped her chin, forcing her to gaze into his eyes.
Filia winced. His eyes had always frightened her the most, always so cold and calculating. But, she found she couldn't look away, in the manner of a moth who can't help but fly towards a flame.
"What, hanging on my every word?" The Mazoku chuckled, his eyes glowing softly with a violet light. "Don't tell me you're afraid."
Filia gulped, trying, though unsuccessfully, to tear her gaze from those amethyst pools that glinted so evilly, "Of course not."
"Good. Because, for now, you have nothing to fear. I'm only going to mark you as my prey."
She watched in fascination as he raised a finger, and she felt the silk against her cheek. It was refreshing at first, but as it moved down along the side of her face, she screamed as she felt it. Fire, a hellish fire, anywhere she was touched.
The soft touch left her skin, but she was still burning. Xellos pulled her to her feet, whispering in her ear, his voice a mixture of a purr and velvet, "Was it really that bad? It's only a mark. don't you want to know what I've done to you?"
Filia choked back her cries of pain, her blue eyes gazing almost lifelessly in front of her as he continued, "LS, Filia-chan. two little letters. I have marked you as a Lost Soul. You belong to ME Golden One, and ONLY to me. You've begun to realize it lately, that you are mine, but do you know how much I possess of you?"
"Please. please stop." She whispered, felling him nip her gently on the earlobe.
"100 percent of you. Body, soul, heart, mind. Oh, you've felt it. You're in denial. You don't WANT to feel for me the way you do, but you know you wish to please me. It's very apparent, my gorgeous Dragon, that you have conflicting emotions. Hatred, or love? Which is stronger?"
He pulled back, brushing her tears away and then entangling his hands in her hair. Filia gave a moan as he kissed her, and she hated him. She hated him for killing her kind, for killing Sellox, for making her alone, for using her like this.
'I hate him. so why. why does this feel so wonderful?!' She sobbed to herself, finding herself returning the kiss, deepening it and unable to pull herself away.
Xellos purred, licking his lips as he pulled away, "Poor little lizard of gold. don't you realize that I only wish to hurt you? But you want me, don't you? You want me to kiss you, to hold you. You're so tired of being alone."
Filia gasped, shivering from head to toe. The kiss had felt so nice. but she hated him for it. She now knew what emotion she felt; hatred! She hated the damned Mazoku with every fiber of her being.
Anyone could give your body physical pleasure; it did not take much skill, and she reflected angrily that the purple-haired Priest before her had practiced a good bit in his time. 'Damn him. damn him for making me want him! I never have loved him. I never WILL love him!'
Xellos chuckled, pulling away from her, and he sighed, "That hatred is nice Filia-chan. But, now I leave you to it. Never forget who owns your soul, Dragon Maiden. I WILL come one day to claim it!"
Filia unconsciously raised her hand to her face, feeling the deep cuts that were there. She felt so helpless, so hopeless, and it was all over. She might as well die!
She awoke with a start, her breathing in heavy pants, and she looked wildly at her surroundings. Where was Sellox? Where was Xellos? 'And where am I?'
She was in a hole, not too deep, and she glanced down at a rock that had a little blood on it. She brought her hand to her head, feeling the sticky residue of blood there too.
Filia sat up, looking around. "Was it all a dream?" She wondered aloud.
Yes. yes, it had to have been! No Sellox, no Xellos, no mark! She sighed, climbing out of the hole. If she was going to make it back to the inn before nightfall, she would have to hurry.
Xellos watched her leave, smiling, "April Fools Filia. April Fools."
~*~*~*~
It was wonderfully dark night. The ebony sky was broken only by the silver stars twinkling, and one tiny sliver of moon.
Xellos sat alone in the inn, sipping some hot chocolate and nibbling at a few cookies. He felt he had had a pretty successful day. He had played all his pranks without a hitch, and all he had to do to complete the LARGEST prank of all was to wait until midnight.
His keen hearing picked up two voices, and he smiled. "Amelia and Zelgadis? Let the chaos begin!"
"THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT ZELGADIS-SAN!"
"MY fault? YOU'RE the one who nearly drowned me!"
"I did no such thing! But YOU pushed me into a bath of spaghetti and meatballs!"
"I never did!"
The both walked into the dining area, and the Mysterious Priest smiled his broadest grin, "Long day?"
They both glared at him, and Zelgadis spoke through clenched teeth, "Not now Xellos. This is NOT the time. Unless you want your fruity little brains all over the wall, you will shut up while we wait for Lina, Gourry, and Filia."
"While YOU wait for them," Amelia corrected. "Because YOU say this is all Xellos' fault. You just can't admit that you broke my heart with your stupid prank!"
"If you already know that I'm guilty, why don't you leave?" The Chimera snarled.
"Because I can't wait for Lina-san to wipe the FLOOR with you!"
"You won't have to wait long!" Xellos giggled, "I do believe I hear our beloved sorceress and her blonde bodyguard now!"
That came as no surprise. EVERYONE could hear the two as the came in, arguing with one another.
"Lina, I swear, I DO NOT know what you're talking about!"
"Then, let me repeat it for you, melon head. You tried to be a BIG hero, and then left me to those ruffians, who robbed me of my gold. and. and dressed me up in this thing! I LOOK LIKE FREAKIN' NAGA!"
"But Lina, I already TOLD you! I was being chased around by that freak that thinks I'm a woman! I couldn't have done it!"
"BUT YOU WEREN'T ASKED BY A LITTLE KID WHY A MAN WAS WEARING A WOMAN'S BIKINI!"
The Trickster Priest felt chills of pleasure run down his spine. All this arguing was delicious. He greeted the two as the walked in, "OH! Lina and Gourry, you both look so great! Did you help each other shop today?"
It took all three of the others who were present to keep Lina from Dragon Slaving him, and Zelgadis hissed, "Only Filia to wait for before we deal with this fruitcake."
The sorceress hissed, "I have to deal with jellyfish brain first."
Gourry was going to protest his innocence, again, but the Chimera stopped any further arguments, "You can wait Lina. We HAVE to know what really happened first! THEN you can beat up Gourry if you want. Or Gourry could beat you up. Whichever."
That seemed to pacify them both, much to Xellos' disappointment. Still, the Chimera had a point. 'He'll probably end up making a fine lawyer. or a marriage councilor.'
So, the warrior in pink and the bikini-sporting sorceress sat down, taking a glance at the sauce-stained princess and the waterlogged Chimera. Wisely, no one said anything.
Filia walked in a few moments later, her happy expression vanishing as Amelia asked, "What's the 'LS' on your face mean, Filia-san?"
She screamed, her eyes automatically darting to Xellos who smiled in response, "Hello Lizard of Darkness. Did you have a nice day?"
The Golden Dragon grabbed her mace, and she went to harm the smiling joker when Zelgadis intervened, "No! Stop now! We are GOING TO HANDLE THIS IN A CIVILIZED MANNER!"
The others blinked, and Zelgadis sighed, "Please, everyone, I want to make sure the right party gets punished for all this. Now, we will ALL share the experiences of the day, and try to figure out what these stupid letters mean."
Xellos suddenly found a bit of respect for the Chimera. No one else had managed to figure out that they all had letters, and that they just MIGHT mean something. 'Must be the demon in him.'
Amelia started, "Zelgadis-san came and told me he loved me, and then he pushed me into a big bath of spaghetti and meatballs!"
Xellos laughed, "On top of spaghetti, all covered with cheese. I saw Amelia. sink when she sneezed."
Zelgadis glared at him, and the Priest gave a nervous laugh, "Sorry! I was inspired!"
The Chimera sighed, "Whatever. Anyway, I was resting underneath a tree when Amelia came over and told me she loved Xellos and they were going to be married. To make a long story short, I saved her from drowning and tripped into the river, and I nearly drowned."
The Trickster sent Amelia a glance, giving a false gasp, "Oh Amelia-chan! I thought I asked you not to tell anyone our little secret!"
The Princess blushed, and the purple-haired Mazoku turned to Zelgadis, "You know, I can always dump her so that she brings her broken heart to YOU for mending, Zelgadis. if you want."
The Chimera growled, and it was with great effort that he turned to Gourry. "How about you next?"
"Well, after Lina got mad at me when I fell asleep at a musical, I went wandering around. Lina found me and told me she wanted the two of us to go to a spa together. I went, found this robe, and because I had no other choice, I put it on. Then. that. PERVERT who thinks I'm a woman came and chased me around the city!"
Seeing he was near tears, the others comforted him as best they could, even Xellos. "Gourry. have you ever wondered if you were MEANT to be a man?"
The blonde swordsman turned to him, his eye twitching as the Demon Priest continued, "I mean, you're hair is SOOO long, like Rapunzel or something, and you DO look so good in pink!"
Lina sighed, crossing her arms across her chest, "Don't get mad Gourry. He's trying to get to you. Anyway, my story is short. I went to a coffee shop and ate 6 dozen doughnuts. Gourry met me in the café and told me about a magic shop that was going out of business. I brushed him off, then felt bad and chased after him. A group of bandits tried to rob me, and trying to help, yogurt brain knocked me out with his sword. Then, I woke up dressed in this, and my purse of gold was gone."
She sat back in her chair, shrieking when she felt someone drape a cloak over her shoulders, and the trickster gave a giggle, "I thought you would appreciate a little cover, Lina-san. After all, we don't want anyone of those STRANGE men in here to make even stranger advances towards you, right?"
Filia quickly, thanks to Zelgadis intervention, told her story, "I was by the forest, and I saw a Golden Dragon named Sellox. Xellos came and destroyed him, and then marked me for a-a. a lost soul. and he said he would destroy me."
The Mazoku Priest, having reappeared in his own place, smiled at her, "Ah, but if I did that, who would be around to hit me over the head with a mace? I AM a masochist after all, and it feels SO nice to be smashed to a pulp."
The rest of the group ignored him, and Lina made an observation, "So, except for Filia, we STILL don't know what the letters mean!"
Gourry gave a snore, and Filia shook him on the shoulder. Amelia sighed, "But one thing we CAN agree on is this is Xellos' fault."
She turned to Zelgadis, having thought up (very quickly) an apology, but his face made her stop. His eyes were closed, his breathing shallow, and it was obvious that he was thinking, turning over all the facts to try and decipher the mysteries of the letters.
Gourry snored, even though the Golden Dragon continued to try and wake him. He turned his head, half-whimpering as he spoke, "But Mommy. CAT can be spelled out of the letters 'A', 'T', and 'C' too. not just ACT."
Zelgadis' eyes flew open, and he leapt to his feet. "THAT'S IT! GOURRY! YOU'RE A GENIUS!"
THAT made even Xellos jump, and the Chimera quickly explained, "All of these letters have to be put into a certain order to form a word or words."
"How do we know the order?" Filia asked.
"Yeah, there must be hundreds of combinations," Lina added.
Xellos raised a finger, "120 to be exact."
"That's still a lot," Gourry grumbled.
"It would be if we had to try all 120 combinations," Zelgadis agreed. "But we don't."
The others echoed him, "We DON'T?"
"Nope," The Chimera chuckled, stretching. "Because the order is able to be found from logic."
"Amelia is first in the line of 5, because her prank occurred right after we all split up. Filia was with me, and Gourry was with Lina. Second is Gourry, because Filia and I were still together and Lina was in a coffee shop. Third is me, because Lina was STILL in a coffee shop, and Filia saw the sunset, making her last. That leaves Lina in the fourth place."
Seeing the others blink in confusion, Zelgadis sighed and took out a piece of paper and a pen. "I'm going to write down the letters. AP, then RI, then LF, then OO, then LS."
He held the paper triumphantly, his voice ringing along with the clock, "It says. APRIL FOOLS!"
The clock's sound died, to be replaced by Xellos' clapping, "You have impeccable timing Zel-san!"
That was when Zelgadis realized he was not wet anymore. And Amelia was not orange; the scratches on Filia were gone. And, most importantly, Lina and Gourry were clothed normally.
"W-what just happened?" Amelia whispered.
No one answered, except the Chimera, as all eyes were turned towards him. "I. don't know."
The purple-haired jester giggled, explaining, "April Fools Day is at an end, and so are my pranks. I marked you all with the letters so that you could not get revenge on me. Now you have to wait a whole year. before you can even try!"
The group face-faulted as he rang a waiter, "May I have some more hot chocolate please?"
THE END
Author's Note: I do not own any of these characters. I do not believe in any couples other than Lina and Gourry. Zelgadis does NOT love Amelia, and Xellos does NOT love Filia, and vice-versa for the Dragon-Demon pair. Likewise I do not do any YAOI or YURI pairings. Since Lina and Gourry are the ONLY official couple other than Martina and Zonglous, I do not recognize any other. Please do not flame me if I have put something in here that offends you. You may send suggestions, because I AM interested in what you have to say, but please do not fault me for my writing. Please do not ask me why I did not include couples other than Gourry and Lina. I realize NOW that Amelia's worst fear is fish, and that Filia is not the last of the Golden Dragons. I beg forgiveness for my ignorance, but the story flows so nicely that I will not change either of these things. If you cannot tell, I am a rabid fangirl of Xellos, with Zelgadis in second place. I think I made that fairly obvious. but that's mainly why they have larger roles in the fic than anyone else.
Sincerely, Quicksilver