DISCLAIMER: … I do not own the Slayers or any quotes I have listed at the top of the chapters…
-x- Chapter One -x-
Sometimes beginnings aren't so simple...
Sometimes goodbye's the only way...
-x- "Shadow of the Day"- Linkin Park -x-
Filia smiled softly rising from the bed as she hummed a cheerful little tune. She had dreamed of the past last night, of Miss Lina and the others. As always this brought a feeling of happiness and hope to her heart.
Such a warm feeling, as warm as the sun streaming into the room from the window. The feelings of warmth and happiness seemed to radiate from all around her, warming her both heart and soul.
Of course, any dreams of the past also brought with them memories of him, but the warmth they brought easily smoothed any of the feelings of annoyance that thinking of him brought.
Filia was certain that today, like all days that started with dreams of the past would be wonderful.
And so she hummed softly to herself, picking out her favorite sundress. It was pink, just like her traveling gown had been.
She smiled happily, giving it a little twirl before the vanity mirror as she hummed.
She heard a soft humming noise from behind her and turned back with a giggle.
"You feel it too, don't you Val?" She cooed, running a gloved hand over the glowing egg as it let of a light hum that harmonized almost perfectly with the tune she had created. "Yes you do, don't you?"
The egg continued to hum and she smiled softly, resuming her own humming as she continued to stroke the egg gently.
"Oh yes..." She breathed happily, as the duet drew to a close. "Today is going to be a good day, I can just feel it!"
There came a crash from down stairs and she winced, hanging her head briefly as she heard her servants' distressed cries.
She giggled once more, transferring the egg to it's carrying basket with a soft smile.
"Well, we won't let that break our good mood, now will we?" She asked it as she opened the door and headed down stairs. "We'll just have to lend them a hand!"
"Jilas!" Gravos barked, placing his hands on his hips in irritation. The action not as intimidating as normal as it was offset by the day-glow orange apron he was dawning. "I told ya, I'm doing the cookin'! You'll only blow the place up! Now look at ya! That was my favorite pot!"
"Oh-me-oh-my!" The fox-man replied sheepishly, scooping the pieces into a pile quickly. "Well maybe the Boss can fix it! Yeah, I bet the Boss can fix it real good! You'll see!"
"I know she can fix it!" He growled, brandishing his spatula at the fox-man in irritation. "But that ain't no reason to go and break it every morning, if ya'd just listen to me!"
Filia giggled despite herself at the scene, covering her mouth quickly but not quick enough for her presence to go unnoticed.
"Boss!" The cried in unison, standing quickly to attention. Each one with a salute, Gravos' done via spatula.
Filia shook her head sadly, a wary smile tugging on her lips. "For the last time, don't call me 'Boss'!"
"Sorry, Boss!" They replied in sheepish unison and she sighed setting Val's basket on the counter.
"And no saluting!" She scolded quickly, just to get it out of the way.
"Yeah!" Gravos echoed, turning on Jilas with his spatula. "You know how the Boss feels about that!"
"I was just showin' me respect!" The fox-man protested anxiously. "Besides, you saluted too, you did!"
Gravos turned away quickly, trying to look innocent. "No I didn't, I was just after that fly that landed on my forehead. Nothing else."
Filia giggled again as Jilas started to protest and each of her servants cast her a sheepish grin as she tied on her own pale-blue apron.
"Now..." She stated, happy that she had their attention. "Let's see what we can do about breakfast, and then I'll see what I can do about Gravos' pot."
"Alright, Boss!" Came the unanimous reply and Filia shook her head with a grin, pulling out a pot of her own.
About twenty minutes later she poured the tea as Gravos dished up the plates.
"Now." She stated happily, taking a sip of her tea with a grin and gathering up the shards that Jilas had gathered. "You two eat up, I'll go see what I can do about this pot before the shop opens."
"But Boss..." Jilas protested with watery eyes. "You have to eat something. You can't go starving just because me be a clutz."
Filia beamed at him reassuringly, and placed a piece of toast in her mouth with a grin earning laughs from both of them as she made her exit.
Once in her sunroom she swallowed the toast quickly, following it with another refreshing sip of tea. With a happy sigh she set the cup and saucer on the table, spreading out the shards before her.
Humming softly she began piecing them together, her hands expertly finding the matching grooves.
She had dreamed of both the ghost ship and the amusement park last night, only the dreams hadn't been quite as accurate as possible.
The amusement park one had been pretty close, save a few changes, but the ghost ship had been different in a big way...
He had been there too...
Not for all of it, but in the pottery room, there had been a pot and he had knocked it off knowing she'd be forced to catch it.
The action was just so like him that it had irritated her immediately, still...
She missed them, perhaps not him, but the dreams were a welcome reminder of the journey that had re-written her life. Changes like that were only possible when on journeys of that magnitude. She wondered idly as she melded the broken shards back together what sort of changes they all were going through now.
Not him though, he never changed.
"Done..." She murmured softly, stepping back and viewing her work with a pleased grin. "Just as good as new!"
And it was; so with a little hum she headed back into the kitchen knowing it was time to help with the dishes less there be more pottery to mend.
Filia giggled watching in bemusement as Jilas and Gravos fought over who would get to watch Val and who would help her in the Shoppe. She shook her head gently, flipping the sign from CLOSED to OPEN and headed back to her spot behind the counter, grabbing a pot to polish along the way.
"For the last time Jilas." Gravos barked irritably. "I'm the responsible one, tell him, Boss!"
"Oh-me-oh-my!" Jilas cried, glancing at Filia with horrified eyes. "Say it ain't so, Boss!"
Filia was saved both the undesirable task of mediating this debate as well as correcting their continued mis-terminology by the sound of the door chiming open.
"Oh!" She chimed happily, quickly turning her attentions to the small party entering her Shoppe. "Good morning! How may we help you?"
There were about ten or so of them, all male and well dressed.
She held her helpful smile, but her brows furrowed nervously as she noted them all to be wearing the same dark green garb… save one.
He wore black, the same black his ebony locks... the same black as his darker-than-night eyes...
"Are you Filia Ul Copt?" He asked in a voice as smooth as silk, but as sharp as glass.
"You aren't customers, are you?" She whispered backing up slowly, wanting to get to Val's basket but afraid of drawing attention to the action.
He frowned darkly. "No. Pottery... is of no concern to our kind."
Filia swallowed softly, continuing her slow and determined path.
"Uh... your kind?" She stalled warily.
He tilted his head slowly. "Surely you are not so far gone in your ways that you do not recognize one of your own kind, Miss Ul Copt."
Filia glared at his tone, halting her steps. "Just because you're dragons doesn't make you one of my kind, my kind are all but extinct."
"The servants of the Fire Dragon King... yes..." He murmured darkly, spitting the title out as though it were something foul. "But alas, you are not the only Golden Dragons, Miss Ul Copt."
She glared back at him, her temper flaring. "And you are not my elder, I hold no allegiance to you."
"No." He agreed with a cold sneer, crossing his arms darkly. "But that is hardly a concern to us. You are nothing to us, Miss Ul Copt. But you have something we want."
"No..." She whispered softly, horror dawning on her features and Gravos turned with a start.
"Hey!" He growled, brandishing the mase Filia had crafted for him at his request. It was his favorite. "Who are you lot? Huh?"
"Gravos..." She stated warningly.
"Threaten the Boss will ya!" Jilias chimed in angrily, pulling free two make-shift grenades. "I'll show you all how me and Gravos take to threats around here!"
"Jilias..." She pleaded, knowing her pleas would fall on deaf ears.
This was bad... there were too many.
"Wait!" She ordered holding up a hand, but she was too late.
Seconds after Jilas released the bombs two dragons struck him down, and two more descended on Gravos as he leapt at them; mase at the ready.
"No!" She screamed raising her own hands, ancient words at her lips.
Two more at her side, and then there was him at her face.
She hesitated, the scene being too much to take in all at once, and that split moment of hesitation was all he needed.
Laser breath, white and hot shot through her abdomen and she crumpled, bleeding and broken to the floor.
"Should you try and transform..." He stated darkly, stepping over her to the counter. "Than you'll only bleed-out faster. Like us, there is no one you can turn too for help. If it hadn't been us, it would have surely been someone else. Take comfort in that."
She didn't… if only she had been wearing her mase… no… that wouldn't have helped either… they were Golden Dragons…
It wasn't fair…
Val…
He glared down at the mangled dragoness, handing Val's basket off to another dragon at his side as the rest of his crew rallied behind him.
"You may also take solace in the knowledge that unlike the others, we shall let him live." He stated coldly, glaring down at her as though she were dead already; or more like she had never been alive to him to begin with. "So that he can kill them instead. All of them..."
Then with a golden flash they were gone.
She tried to scream, but it only came out as a gurgle... she breathed a broken sob, the pain tearing at her chest as tears of rage and pain ran from her blazing blue orbs.
It couldn't end this way...