A Sailor Moon/Slayers Fic
Episode Four: Separation! Hotaru and
Valgarv a couple?!
By Sakura
A blue haired
woman knelt before a young boy on a throne completely covered in ice. "I
have failed Dynast-sama. I won't give any excuses," she said fully ready
for whatever punishment her master was about to give.
"I
appreciate your honesty, Sherra. That's why I am going to give you one last
chance to get rid of the Inverse girl and her companions," he said coolly.
"My
lord?"
"I sensed
Xellos' presence enter my domain not too long ago so it must mean he and Lina
Inverse are on their way here."
"I'll do my
very best to make sure they never leave here alive," Sherra said going to
leave.
"One more
thing, Sherra."
"Yes my
lord?"
"I'll lend
you a hand just this once." He closed his eyes for a moment as he sent a
bit of his power out over the frozen wasteland. "I have created a blizzard
so it'll be hard for them to see you coming. Use this chance wisely, Sherra. I
won't tolerate any more failures."
The woman bowed.
"Thank you, Dynast-sama," she said as she left.
"Sayonara,
Sherra," said the mazoku lord, a very faint hint of sadness in his voice.
He knew his general would not survive a battle with Xellos AND Valgarv. Sherra
was strong, but not strong enough to fight against the two most powerful
servants of two of his most powerful enemies.
*****
After a brief
stop back at Juuou-sama's, Lina, Xellos, Hotaru, and Valgarv were now trudging
through an seemingly endless desert of white. A huge blizzard had suddenly
decided to show up and make it near impossible to see. Luckily the mazoku
priest had given Lina and Hotaru some time to grab some warmer clothes. The
red-haired sorceress was now donning a heavy fur lined cape with a hood over
her usual winter traveling outfit, but it did very little to change the mood
she had been in earlier. She wasn't too thrilled about having to spend time out
in the cold while she was unable to cast a single fireball for warmth.
Hotaru was also
having a hard time moving through the snow, but had managed to summon her
glaive and use it as a sort of walking stick. Like her brother, she wore a
black cape and hood but hadn't changed the clothes she wore since the mazoku
blood in her kept her from feeling the cold as much. Xellos only wore the cape
and hood to humor her since he was a full blooded mazoku and felt nothing.
Valgarv had refused the girl's offer of a cape since his mazoku blood was
stronger than his dragon's blood.
"First I'm
baked and now I get to be a popsicle," complained Lina.
"What's the
matter, Inverse? Why don't you use that power you love throwing around so much
if you're cold," sneered Val. Lina didn't bother to look back, she just
gripped the cape tighter to her body and silently fumed.
'Just you wait
till I get my magic back,' she silently said.
Hotaru turned and
glared at the mazoku/dragon. "You know she can't because it's her time of
the month. So stop being mean," she said gripping her glaive.
Val immediately
regretted the taunt. 'What's wrong with me? That Lina's only a human. Why
should I regret teasing her for? What is it about this Xylia?'
"Sorry," he muttered under his breath.
Xellos watched
the exchange with amusement. 'Yare, yare, two apologies in one day. Will
wonders never cease.' He smiled to himself as he noticed Valgarv began to stare
at his sister again. 'I'll have to keep
an eye on this. It could prove to be amusing.' He then filed away the knowledge
he just learned and went back to the present matter.
"How are you
feeling, Lina-chan?" he asked phasing in beside her.
She turned to the
mazoku and then promptly hit him. "I'm tired, cold and on top of that it's
that time of the month and you wanna know how I'm feeling?! How the hell
do you think I'm feeling?!"
"Maa, maa. Gomen
ne, Lina-chan. I was just concerned," he said.
"Heh, that's
a good one," Val piped up. Hotaru chose to ignore him this time. Instead
she caught up to her brother and Lina.
"Nii-san,
didn't you say there'd be a cave nearby. Maybe we should head there and rest
until Lina-san's feeling better," she said.
The mazoku priest
looked around, thanking his was a mazoku for no human could even see their
hands in front of them in that blizzard. "Hmm, it's still a while til we
reach it so I suggest we get moving."
"Just what I
need more walking," Lina said shivering slightly.
Xellos produced
another cape and placed it on the redhead's shoulders. "Here, pet."
She nodded gratefully and allowed herself to lean on him as they began their
trek to the cave.
"Kawaii,"
Hotaru said smiling at the two people ahead of her.
Valgarv would
have teased the mazoku priest had it been just him, Xellos and Lina, but
somehow he found himself wishing the purple haired girl would lean against him
as well. 'What is it about her? She's that namagomi's sister for crying out
loud!' Still he could not help wonder and stare after her.
"Are you all
right Valgarv-san?" she said when she noticed he hadn't moved.
"Y-yeah.
Just let me take a breather for a sec," he said hoping he wasn't blushing.
Once he had
recovered the use of his legs, Val joined his companions however he could not
keep his eyes off the mazoku girl in front of him.
*****
After an hour of
walking, Xellos stopped. "What's up, Xel?" Lina asked.
"Xylia and
Val-kun are missing," he said concerned.
"Whadya mean
missing? They were right behind us." Lina turned to look behind and saw
only the blowing snow. "Oh great, now what else can happen?" she
spat.
"I wouldn't
have said that Lina-chan," he said gripping his staff, sensing the
presence of another mazoku.
"You know
he's right for once," said a woman with her blue hair in a ponytail.
"You really shouldn't have come here, Metallium."
"It's good
to see you too, Sherra-chan," Xellos said cheerfully.
"Sh-Sherra?!
As in general of Dynast Grausherra?!" Lina said shocked.
"I'm glad
you've heard of me miss Lina Inverse," she said drawing a sword. "At
least you'll know who killed you."
*****
Meanwhile, Hotaru
had stopped and began to look frantically around the area. Seeing her distress,
Val came up to her. "What's the matter, Xylia-san?"
"I can't see
Xellos nii-san and Lina-san anywhere." She began to worry. She had no idea
where the cave they were heading to since she was still part human and couldn't
see as good as the other two mazoku.
"They're
probably a bit further ahead. Come on." He began walking again, this time
it was he who was leading and was glad since he would be able to concentrate on
something else. 'If that namagomi's playing a trick on us, I'll ^$#(@&*
kill him. Brother or no brother.'
Hotaru shrugged
her shoulders and took a step only to have the ground beneath her suddenly give
way and cause her to fall with it.
Hearing a shriek
behind him, Val turned just as Hotaru was about to disappear into the white
snow. "Kuso!" He ran and made to grab the girl, but got hold of only
air and he too began to fall as his weight made the edge of the hole he'd been
standing at give way and slide into it.
******
Lina knew she
didn't have a chance against the mazoku woman in the condition she was, but
drew her sword. "There's no way I'm gonna die in a place like this!"
She charged the blue haired mazoku only to land face flat in the snow.
Laughter, barely audible over the howling wind filled her ears.
"Is that the
best you can do, little girl?" Sherra had re-materialized and now stood
towering over the fallen sorceress. "Let a real pro show you how to
fight!" With that she swung her sword, aiming for the girl's head. There
was a loud clank when it connected with something wooden instead of flesh and
bone.
Xellos had thrust
his staff between Lina and the sword just as it was about to hit. "I hate
to disappoint you, Sherra-chan, but I have orders not to let Lina-chan get
hurt," he said opening his eyes.
"Is that so?
Too bad, since MY orders are to kill the lot of you. Say sayonara,
Xellos!!" The two mazoku fought. Sword against staff, neither giving up to
the other. Lina could only stand and stare. To her it was like watching a
beautiful, yet deadly dance.
Their auras began
to glow, Xellos' a dark purple and Sherra's an equally dark blue. "Stop
playing, bastard! Let's end this!" shouted Sherra.
"I quite
agree. I have no intention of wasting my time," he said back. The jewel on
the mazoku priest's staff began to glow a deep blood red.
"Oh no you
don't!" Sherra sent her aura into her sword and swung with all her might.
The blow sent the staff sailing through the air and it landed near Lina.
"I've got you now Metallium," Sherra said, a wicked grin on her face.
She threw a ball of blue energy into his stomach making him double over in pain
as he fell back into the snow.
"Xel!!"
Lina yelled, furious she couldn't do a damned thing to help. Suddenly noticing
the staff next to her, she grabbed it and rushed the mazoku woman. Swinging
wildly, she managed to land a blow to Sherra's shoulder.
"You little,
bitch!" yelled the mazoku general, dropping the sword.
"Now who's
go who?" Xellos said, grasping the opening. His eyes glowed as he grabbed
the staff from Lina and shoved into Sherra's stomach and out the back.
"Do you
really think that'll kill me?" She laughed.
"Of course
not, Sherra-chan," Xellos said, "but this will." The jewel on
the staff glowed again and blood red energy crackled down it and onto the
mazoku's body. Sherra screamed in pain as the energy intensified and tore her
astral form apart.
Once the mazoku
general was dead, Xellos retrieved his staff and shook the black blood off onto
the snow. "You ok, Lina-chan?"
"H-hai. How
about you?" she asked remembering he'd been hit.
"How sweet
of you to ask, pet. I'm just fine now. Shall we see if Val-kun and my sister
made it to the cave?" Nodding, the redhead took the proffered arm.
"By the way Lina-chan, arigatou," he said giving her a kiss.
Blushing slightly
she stammered a reply. "Y-you're welcome, Xel."
*****
Hotaru and Val
woke to find they were in a deep snow drift with no way out. "This is just
%^#@&*$ peachy!" swore the dragon mazoku. "Um sorry," he
said when he realized who he was with. "It's kinda a bad habit."
"You think
the others know we're gone?" she asked staring at the hole they'd fallen
through.
"I hope so.
I'd hate to beg Garv-sama for
help."
"You really
like you master don't you?" She moved so they were now sitting next to
each other.
"He... I owe
him a lot, Xylia-san. He saved me when he could've left me to die." A sad
look appeared on his face.
"I don't
understand," she said perplexed.
"Didn't your
brother tell ya about me?" The girl shook her head. "Well anyways, I
wasn't always a mazoku, ya know. I was an anczoku." He began to draw
doodles in the snow with his whip.
Hotaru's eyes
went wide. "An anczoku? But I thought they were all wiped out by the gold
dragons."
"Well ya
thought wrong," he said bitterly. A hurt look came to Hotaru's face.
"Um, sorry. It's just that whenever I think of those bastards, I get so
angry."
She placed a hand
on his arm making him flinch slightly. "I think I understand," she
said.
"What makes
ya say that? How could you possibly know what it's like being hated jus' 'cause
you're different."
"Because
it's happened to me too," she said lowering her head.
"You?"
"Yeah. When
I was on the world where Xellos nii-san found me, I couldn't make any friends because
all the kids at school thought I was a freak."
"You a
freak? You don't look like one," he said shocked. "Your brother
however..." A quick look from the girl beside him made him shut up.
"Why would anyone think you're freak?"
"I have this
healing power. When the kids saw me using it, that's when it started." "Ch' then they're damn idiots.
Y-you're too nice to be a freak," he blurted, blushing.
"Thank you
Valgarv-san. I knew you were a nice guy," she said blushing.
'She thinks I'm
nice?! Xellos' sister thinks I'm nice?!' He refused to look the girl in the
eyes, not wanted to embarrass her with a blushing face.
"Ya know,
y-you're a lot nicer than your brother," he said quietly.
"Thank you,
I think. Valgarv-san," she began.
"Why don't
ya call me Val. It's easier."
"Um, okay...
Val-san. Why do you hate my brother so much?"
"It.. it's
because he took my revenge from me," he murmured softly.
"Your
revenge?"
"Yah, when
Garv-sama made me into a mazoku, I wanted to use this power to get revenge on
those damned lizards for wiping out my people." She looked at him in utter
shock. Sure she hated the children for being mean to her, but never had she
wished to get revenge.
'He's a demon,
Hotaru. Isn't this how demons act?' her mind told her.
"Xellos
almost wiped out an entire clan before I could do anything."
Now she was
really shocked. She had some inkling that her brother had been involved in
'giving the lizard theirs' as he had put it, but she never imaged that was what
he meant.
"Nii-san did
that?!"
"For a
mazoku you sure are naive," he said.
"I guess I
am," she said meekly.
"Listen, I'm
sorry. I really didn't mean to hurt your feelings like that," he said
wrapping an arm around her shoulders.
"You didn't.
It's just that I'm surprised about what Xellos nii-san did."
Val looked up and
saw that the blizzard had stopped. "I guess there's nothing we can do
'cept wait."
"It's a good
thing it's stopped snowing," Hotaru said yawning.
"If you're
tired, why don't ya take a nap. I'll watch for the others."
"You don't
mind, Val-san?"
"Nah.
There's nothin' else to do right?"
Hotaru nodded
gratefully and laid her head on the taller mazoku's shoulder. A short while
later, she was asleep. Drawing her close, Val smiled and blushed as he made the
sleeping girl lay her head on his lap.
'Gods! What the
hell's going on here? Am I falling for this girl?' he asked himself. What
surprised him was what his mind said back.
'Of course you
are you fool! It's a good thing she likes you, ne?'
The dragon
mazoku's face went from utter disbelief to sheer happiness. "I hope you're right," he said to himself
as he leaned back and watched the sky for any sign of help.