Return
Xina watched as the golden liquid formed into a blonde woman and the ravens
and wolves formed into a dark, cloaked man. The man was somewhat familiar, but
she couldn't quite place him, something about the trumpet hanging off of his belt.
Neither of the two powers looked in perfect condition, L-sama herself immediately
took a chance to lounge back into a couch that had appeared out of nowhere.
"You survived," the cloaked man said. He glanced at the Lord of
Nightmares. "How unlikely."
"You didn't think we were just going to throw our lives away, did you!"
Xina demanded.
"There are some things that you just do not do!" Amelia lectured angrily.
"What makes you any different that beast? You don't seem to care any more about
us than he did." Xellos merely arched an eyebrow.
"Finally, someone changed the Vagabond's plans," L-Sama laughed.
"Looks like nobody's perfect after all."
"As you wish," the Vagabond shrugged. "Enjoy your victory, all of them,
you've certainly earned it." He turned to Xina and Xalan, "I hope you enjoy your
lives." Then the man exploded into a cloud of ravens and flew away vanishing into
the grayness.
~Changed his plans,~ Xellos thought shaking his head inquisitively. ~I do
believe that he wasn't the slightest bit surprised by the way things happened.~
"He always was a sore loser," L-Sama smirked. "Even when he wins."
"And what do we do now?" Xina asked.
"What do you mean?" L-Sama asked.
"How do we get home?" Xalan clarified.
"I could just leave you here," L-Sama noted. "Little-ones, and let you figure
it out on your own."
"Please Lord of Nightmares," Amelia pleaded. "Their place is not here."
"Not yet, perhaps," L-Sama smirked, and Xina swallowed nervously as she
thought that through. "But neither is yours. The Vagabond didn't hang around to
do his job, I might as well fill in for the moment."
"In other words," Xellos said. "Her and I pass on, and you'll show them
how to go home."
"If that's the deal you want," L-Sama said smuggly.
"NO!" Xina snapped angrily.
"What do you care, little-one," L-Sama asked. "They're both already dead,
hanging around her isn't doing them any good."
"It isn't doing us any harm, either," Amelia insisted. Then she sighed and
shrugged. "But you're right we should leave."
"But you can't leave," Xina pleaded. "I just found my father! I'm not losing
him already!"
"We need to go back home," Xalan said quietly. "Martina and Zangulus
still remain, and the elves."
"Yes, your friends need the help," L-Sama smirked, it wasn't quite true, of
the threats Xalan had listed, only Zangulus remained. "And would you deny your
father his proper rest simply because your a spoiled little girl who isn't satisfied
with her mother."
"My mother is a great person," Xina growled, Xalan behind her nodded.
"Be happy with that," L-Sama insisted. "Everything must end, eventually.
And Xellos does not belong here, neither does Amelia!"
"We shall go," Xellos agreed finally. "I shall at least, once I know my
family is safe." Amelia glanced at him and nodded reluctantly.
"I agree to that as well," Amelia said.
"Why can't we all just go home?" Xina asked quietly. "We just saved the
universe here."
"We all are," L-Sama smirked. "But not all of us have the same home."
Xalan stared at the creator of his world and gripped his sister's shoulder. The
female Metallium sighed and rushed forward to hug her father, bursting into tears
as she passed through him.
"Don't worry, Xina-chan," Xellos said quietly to his kneeling daughter.
"I'm sure we'll see each other again. Everything comes back, eventually." L-Sama
snorted while Xina wearily nodded.
"Tell my daughter that I love her, and am proud of her," Amelia said. "And
tell her father that it wasn't his fault I died. I knew it was likely and I still let it
happen."
"Yes, stone-boy has a habit of taking too much on himself," Xellos agreed.
"Tell Lina, that I've never left her, and never will."
"I don't see how that's possible," L-Sama added, a little sarcastically. Xina
glared at L-Sama's comment but nodded at her father.
"Take care of your sister," Xellos said to Xalan. "You certainly have
experience at that."
"It seems as such...father," Xalan answered back, suspicion of this spirit
long gone. Xellos smiled and turned toward L-Sama.
"Are we ready then?" the goddess asked.
"Yes," Xina said quietly, wiping the tears from her eyes and joining her
brother.
"Take that staff," L-Sama gestured. Xina glanced at her father's staff and
nodded. "Good, now both of you hold it."
"How long is this going to take?" Xina demanded, when suddenly they
were back on Wolf Pack Island. "Oh."
"Amethyst!" Xalan shouted and pointed to where the chimera princess had
collapsed in exhaustion. Xina glanced around and saw Val shaking his head clear
across the way, but no sign of either mazoku. Suddenly she smelled one of the
demons.
"XALAN!!" Xina shouted out whipping around. Xina watched Zangulus
materialize next to, and then toss Xalan across the field to land hard into the
ground. Then the mazoku was charging her.
"You BRATS!!!" Zangulus yelled. "You bestial little bitch!! You all killed
her!!" The blade of darkness appeared in his hand as he closed the distance
between them. Xina backed away, exhausted from the experience of the Source
flowing through her, still somewhat bereaved and in shock from losing her father.
She rose a field of force in front of her, but was not confident as to its
effectiveness. Xina had never had good luck with Zangulus. This time everybody
else seemed to be out of action all ready.
Xina was about to resign herself to joining her father, when a great,
black-scaled shape whipped by and tore the mazoku out of its path. Zangulus
teleported before he could be torn to pieces and faced Val.
"Fine," Zangulus growled. "She can watch you die first."
*******
"Well," L-Sama tapped her foot.
"We said we'd go when our families were safe," Xellos reminded the
goddess with a smirk. "They aren't safe yet."
"That mazoku could still kill them, or they could get a nasty rash or
something," Amelia added. L-Sama glanced between them and narrowed her eyes.
"That's not funny," she said. "She's been listening to you to much."
"Don't worry about us," Xellos said. "We shall go as agreed."
"It wouldn't be just to do other wise," Amelia added. *******
"I'm not the one dying here," Val roared out. The dragon reared back and
unleashed a blast of power at the levitating mazoku. The former bounty hunter
dodged out of the path and found himself being swiped by a great black tail.
"You'll have to do better than that!" Zangulus roared. A wave of darkness
rolled out from the mazoku to attack the dragon, it cascaded outward into the sky
harmlessly. Zangulus slashed his sword out to send another attack, however, and
another. Val dodged each one and continously closed distance with his opponent.
Zangulus laughed madly as he continued to try and destroy those that
finally killed his love and mistress. All would die, all had to die. He didn't bother
to look behind him at his shadow.
Briefly Zangulus felt Xina behind him, and swung out with his sword, but
found nothing. Angriliy believing it to be a distraction of some kind he turned his
attention back to the dragon that had used the brief moment of inattention to
prepare another blast of laser breath.
Zangulus smirked and prepared to teleport, when suddenly a large chunk of
his body justed ripped away from him. Followed by another and another.
Zangulus looked around frantically for any sign of an attacker as he was torn to
pieces. Finally his eyes caught sight of his shadow, and the shadow arms that were
tearing it into pieces.
"Get out of my...!!" Whatever Zangulus had been about to say was
obliterated as Val's laser breath washed over him. As the dragon's blast completely
destroyed the mazoku, Xina found herself forcefully ejected from a shadow that no
longer existed. The kage-kitsune quickly and desperately rolled away from the
blast of power Val had launched and was satisfied to only be singed as she came to
a rest.
Val landed lightly beside her and shifted into human form, unconcerned
with his state of dress.
"Xina! Are you okay!" he asked concerned. "I didn't see you...*" Val
stopped as Xina whirled around, hugged him, and started crying freely. He
hesitantly hugged her back and patted her head supportively. He glanced to where
Xalan was coming around from being knocked unconscious by Zangulus.
"Val?" Xina said quietly. The dragon looked down and was surprised as
the purple-haired girl suddenly reached up and kissed him. After his initial surprise
he began to return the embrace, unmindful of what Xalan probably thought as the
other kage-kitsune saw them. After an indeterminate amount of time she pulled
back and buried her head in his shoulders.
"Please don't ever leave me," Xina said quietly.
"I won't," he answered in response, as Xina, crying softly again, fell asleep
in his lap.
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