DISCLAIMER: I do not own Slayers. Although I wish I did.
SUMMARY: Lina has quite unusual request to Xelloss.
WARNINGS: Pairing Lina x Xelloss so don't read if you don't like them. Some dark scenes.
AUTOR NOTES: My first fic ever, in English too. So please be gentle. If you find any mistakes give me a sign and I'll correct them right away. So enjoyed and review PLEASE.
Unusual Request
By Lisle
Chapter One
"Unusual Request"
That was one of those warm, quiet and peaceful days, which are plenty in the middle of summer. That was also one from few, when he didn't have any orders to fulfill. So he could just sit and admire the scenery. Not far from here, he knew it perfectly, Lina and her friends prepared the camp for night.
Lina… red – haired nightmare and the largest problem of his life. Noisy, greedy and destructive child. Beauty, tender and delicate woman. And also one of the greatest sorceress in the world. In order words real paradox…
Life without her in reach would be surely easier and calmer… and also very boring.
He didn't want to admit, even to himself, that he enjoyed watching and teasing her…
The sound of silent footsteps interrupted his thoughts. He teleported himself on the closest branch. He didn't want to be discovered by someone. From here he could safely observe the intruder without being seen.
- Xelloss – he heard soft whisper.
Of course. He almost forgot that he can't hide from her. She always knew when he was near.
With low sigh he jumped down from branch to land right before her.
- What's up with the most beautiful sorceress ever? – He asked jokily.
- Xelloss – she repeated with relief this time.
That surprised him so much, that he looked at her closer… And he felt terrified by changes that went inside her. She was much slimmer, than he saw her for last time, only two week ago. Her face was pale and eyes were black – ringered. And her fairy hair and mysterious eyes lost their shine. She looked like she was totally exhausted and lost all her energy.
- Lina… - he started alarmed, when he saw she is smiling faintly.
- I came here to ask you a favour… - she interrupted him, doesn't want to answer to all his questions.
- A favour? – He asked surprised.
- What kind of favour would need a monster slayer from one of them?
Her smile disappeared replaced by sadness… and desperations?
- Lina… I was only joking – he said quickly couldn't stand loneliness reflecting in her eyes.
- What can I do for you? – He asked promising himself to do whatever he can to help her.
- Kill me… - she asked calmly.
- What?! – He inquired startled.
- Kill me – she repeated.
He denied, before her words reached him. And after that he denied even stronger. 'It's only a joke. Stupid, bad but only a joke' he tried to convince himself. But even if he was a great liar, he couldn't believe himself. Beside deceivably pose of Lina denied this statement.
- Why…? – He started but not finished the question.
Probably he was afraid of her answer.
- Before I'll kill you – she explained softly.
He denied once again. It wasn't a question, which he wanted to ask her. "Why did you choose me, Lina?" He asked silently. "Because you're a monster. And monsters don't have feelings" he answered to himself.
He looked at her with anxiety. But she didn't say a word. She just turned her gaze from him, to look at some distant point. He followed her sight instinctively, but he didn't see anything interesting there. So he returned to watching her.
- Why now? – After all it was him, who broke the silence.
- Because I'm getting weaker. Because now I can still achieve something… gain something – she corrected herself.
This enigmatic answer didn't fit to Lina, which he knew. Every time when he used riddles sorceress was angry and tried to get a normal explanations.
But this situation wasn't normal, and Xelloss was afraid for the first time of his life. But he knew that fury pulsed under layers of fear…
- I have to admit that you disappointed me, Lina. I expected something more from you. That's not like you to give up so easily. You want to kill yourself? Great! But do it yourself. But did you think for a second what happened to Amelia, Zelgadis, Gourry and Sylphiel after your death? Surely not, because why would you? And what about me…? It would make you happy if Luna blamed me about your death. Go on! What are you waiting for? Kill yourself, Lina Inverse! And destroy life of everybody, who cares about you! – He said angrily.
- Don't you think that if I could I would do that long time ago? – She asked calmly, completely not frightened by his behavior.
He didn't have an answer for that, so he just went away. Or rather he tried to.
- Xelloss! – He called him desperately.
He turned around just in time to see like colors disappear from her face. Lina faltered and lost her balance. In amount of second he teleported himself and caught her before she fell. The girl breathed heavily, apparently very tired. He helped her gently to sit down.
- What's really going on, Lina? – He asked softly.
She opened mouth, but she couldn't say a word. Suddenly she rose in air, and color of her hair and eyes changed to gold. Her body also emitted a golden light. Xelloss knew what it meant. It wasn't Lina anymore, it was Lord of Nightmares.
- What are you waiting for, Xelloss? Kill her, so I could unite with her forever… - he spoke thundering voice.
- Master…? – He said questioningly.
And then Lord of Nightmares sighted, light surrounding the body disappeared. Both the hair and the eyes regained proper for them color. That meant that Lina was back. She fell on the ground heavily.
- You have lot things to tell me, Lina – he summed up briefly.
Girl sat down comfortably and began proper tale:
- Sometime ago, when I was looking for very specific artifact, I encountered a prophecy. On the beginning I ignored it, but I decided to read it from pure curiosity. But without proper key I couldn't. I found out only that it concerned the end of the world… and me…
She broke tale for a moment and looked on Xelloss. She wanted to assure herself that he's listening. He did. He literally absorbed all her words.
- It caused that I decided to read it no matter what. Therefore I abandoned looking for treasure and began search for the key. In the same time something bad started to happen with me… Originally I thought that I'm ill. But Sylphiel convince me that's not it. Meanwhile I was getting more and more weak. Using my powers became the real problem. In the end even the simplest spells became too exhausting. And any magic amulets didn't work… And then I completely accidentally discovered the key and read the prophecy…
Her voice broke at the last words so she interrupted the story. This time to regain control over herself. She started to play with her gloves before she reassumed the tale.
- It sounded more or less like… And the Great Darkness will come, which absorb everything and raze the world. Many heroes will die meaningless. Because the only one, which can destroy Darkness, didn't come yet. And when she'll come she'll loose her powers and life. The only way to defeat Darkness will lead to full unification with Lord of Nightmares. And her name was LINA INVERSE…
She stopped. She didn't have nor strength, nor will to tell him what was happening with her later. And Xelloss didn't ask her about it, suspecting that she went through hell.
He also remained silence, when he tried to imagine everything what she told him.
- Lina… Did you ask someone for help? – He asked already knowing the answer.
- Yes. I asked Fillia. I gave her prophecy and key and asked for reading it – she explained.
- And…?
- Unfortunately… Her interpretation was the same as mine – she answered.
- But there must be something what we can do…
- Look at me, Xelloss – she interrupted him.
- The prophecy was right… I already can't cast any spell and the Darkness is coming. I can feel it. And so do you. It's more powerful that everything with what we had to fight in the past – she continued calmly.
- Yes – he nodded.
- So you also know what I must do…
- To unify with Lord of Nightmares – he admit.
- And if I die before that, everything will be lost. But he promised me, that if I accept him, he'll defeat Darkness and keep the world in peace for another one hundred years.
Xelloss knew that there was some logic in it, but it was even harder to accept it. There had to be another way, but he couldn't find it. He closed his eyes and sensed that Lina moved.
- Xelloss? – He heard her soft voice.
He opened eyes to see that Lina was standing in front of him. She drew out a hand in which she kept her sword.
- Please… - she added.
His hands were shaking when he accepted it. She smiled sadly touching his face gently.
- It has to be like that – she said calmly and quietly.
She kneeled and gazed in his eyes. Then she leaned and kissed him softly.
- Will you do it? – She assured.
Instead of answering her, he simply kissed her back. She closed her eyes and then he stabbed her. She sighted silently and fell on him.
- Lina… – he whispered embracing her.
She opened eyes, but nor fear, nor pain reflected in them. What he saw was calm, relief… and some kind of feeling which he didn't know.
- Thank you – she whispered.
He observed like blood is flowing from wound that he gave her. And he stopped himself before healing her.
- Don't let them… blame you – he heard.
He laid a finger on her lips not wanting to hear her weak voice. So much different from lively voice of Lina. Her lips moved again so he leaned to hear what she was saying.
- Aisheteru, Xelloss – she whispered.
And then he understood. He recognized those feeling which flowed over him when she was near. In the same time he knew that understanding came too late.
- Aisheteru, Lina – he assured her observing light dying in her eyes.
"Aisheteru, Lina" he repeated in his mind lying her down on grass and kissing for last time.
THE END
At least for now. But tell me, should I continue? Or should I stop. R&R