Stranger Days.

Background:

Lina is a sorceress who loves to go on treasure hunts.
Xelloss is a demon (mazoku) who killed off Milgazia's clan.
Milgazia is a dragon who can turn into a human.
Escaflowne is a robot that has a dragon form.
Van is the owner of Escaflowne.Allen is the Knight of Asturia. The country they were in.
Zelgadiss and Gourry are Lina's companions. Gourry is a stupid guy. Zel is a shaman/swordsman.
Nakago is the guy with spiky armor, who has kick-ass powers. From FY
By the way, Zel is part-golem, and has protruding rocks on his face and body. Which explains the "rock" jokes.


The writer is known as Pandora on the internet. That is to say...ME.


Milgazia opened his eyes. The sun was shining brightly, and the birds were chiping from a nearby copse of trees.He was lying in the middle of a valley, half covered with flowers. It didn't seem like he was in the same valley he went to every now and then to take a nap. He must've flown a bit too far the last time. He heard a familiar voice from afar.

"Ra...TILT!"

Zelgadiss. That could only mean that Lina and the gang were here, as well. He ran as fast as he could. He couldn't risk turning into a dragon in a strange place. He got there just in time to swipe Lina, before the blonde-haired man with what looked like a spiky armor variation, gave off a blue lazer beam that would've hit Lina, and blasted Gourry into "never-never land" ( that place where you send people you 'never-never' wanna get stuck with, hehehehehe...), while another, who looked like a knight, and had long, flowing blonde-hair, drew his sword.

"If you value your life...let me pass."
"I, Allen Schezar, Knight of Asturia, shall not let you pass!"
"It seems.. you have a death wish. very well."

"NO!" Lina screamed. "GET OUTTA THE WAY!!!"

A gaimelef appears out of nowhere.

"ESCAFLOWNE!"

and transforms into dragon form, revealing a dark-haired young man.

"Van!"

Milgazia stares in disbelief.

"H-Hey...Mil...that kinda looks like...a bulky, white...dragon..."

Something made a loud thud, and created a large crater right smack beside Milgazia. He shook the stars out of his otherwise empty brain, and looked at the flying object. (i'm beginning to think I shoulda sent aliens to abduct him, instead...)

"Oi...Milgazia-sama...you know...if you smooth the edges around that thing...it would look a lot like you!...are you related?"

"I sure hope you weren't suggesting to the dragon elder that He was an ' IT ' ."

"JELLYFISH BRAINS!!!" Lina yelled, not the least bit worried that Gourry might be having a concussion, as she pounds him mercilessly into the ground. "What TOOK you so long, ANYWAY?"

"The last thing I remember, I came to a beautiful land where time stopped, and nobody grew up. At least, that's what this 'Peter Pan' fellow said...they were quite happy that I was there, at first. They said I was handy with a sword...but then this 'Hook' guy came along lots of times...and they dropped me off here...I wonder why..."

"Oh...Gee...I dunno...did you get them in TROUBLE!?!"

"well...now that you mentioned it..."

Lina proceeded giving Gourry a second bashing.

"Amazing." commented Zelgadiss. "He gets sent to 'retard land' and he's *still* a reject."

Milgazia didn't hear any of this. He just stared at the thing that seemed on it's way to land.

The man with the spiky armor shook his head. "such fools these people are." he said. Seeing as everyone else was pre-occupied, he started to leave. He didn't bother. His mind was made up. That dragon was sent by Seirryu.

Zelgadiss watched their adversary walk away. "We'll meet again." he said. The man just nodded. He looked back at the stunned dragon elder. Amidst the commotion, he was the only one who heard Milgazia's reaction.

"This can't be happening..."

Lina, on the other hand, was already asking about Escaflowne. It had returned to it's mecha state.

"So...how does it work?"
"Well..." Van began." It activates when any member of our family touches that red orb."
"Shoot." Lina whispered. " Now, how am I gonna get this thing? Oh well...looks like the jewel will have to do." she thought to herself.
"What was that?" asked Van.
" Cute! By the way, do you know if there's an inn somewhere around here where we can eat?"
"Well...if you need a place to stay...I'm sure Princess Millerna wouldn't mind if you stay at the palace." Allen replied.
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Milgazia heard what Van had said. He looked thoughtfully at the red jewel that held his cloak.
He thought about it. This thing that the human, Van, called a "Gaimelef" looked like an armored giant that transformed into a dragon, and was activated, using a red orb, much like he can turn human to dragon, or otherwise, at will. And that red jewel was part of him, just as the red orb was part of the Gaimelef. Still, he could recall his childhood, and everone knew him at the Peak.. he couldn't be a Gaimelef...could he?

They were all at the palace. Everyone seemed too starved to notice the dragon elder. Their new friends, on the other hand, were quite amazed at how quickly the food disappeared.

And just outside, sitting on the tree...was a creature, chewing on Milgazia's discomfort.
"Yes...that's right...you'll find out soon enough."
He turned his gaze to the castle, thoroughly enjoying the moment.
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"And what are YOU doing here, Xelloss?"
"Ah...my dear, sweet Lina-chan...I simply wanted to see you! Don't be upset with me!" he chirped, as he bent down to kiss her cheek.

Lina turned a deep red, and seemed to sprout something green at the top of her head that resembled a stem. (uh-oh...tomato moments...)

Xelloss brushed the fallen twig off her head, and said "we really should step away from the tree...the leaves are starting to fall, ne, Lina-chan? Lina-chan?

Lina, who was still blushing, remains still as a rock.

WE WILL RETURN, AFTER A LONG MESSAGE FROM OUR SPONSORS!(enter commercial)

Backstage:

Zel: ENOUGH WITH THE "ROCK" JOKES ALREADY!!!
Pan: QUIET! OR I'M GIVING HER TO XELLOSS WHEN I GET TO FINISH THAT OTHER FIC!
Zel: YOU'RE GIVING HER TO HIM, ANYWAY!!! WHAT HAVE I GOT TO LOSE?
Pan: DON'T MAKE ME GET CREATIVE ON YOU...
Zel: um...I think we're going on air in a few moments. ja.
Xel: It's good to have friends in high places, ne? (insert happy smile)
(you can hear Pan's maniacal laugh from afar...OHOHOHOHOHOHO!!!!)

Commercial: yes, Ladies and gentlemen...we can trust Xelloss to serve the most insane individuals...Vote Xelloss for President, this 2001!

(exit commercial)...AND NOW, BACK TO OUR SHOW!

When she finally snaps out of it, she sees Escaflowne, flying through the air.

"By the way, Xelloss...what do you know about that Gaimelef?"
"Well..." Xelloss began, as he takes out his 'BOOK OF FACTS' (tm) (annoying, isn't it?) "more than a thousand years ago...the first Gaimelef was made to look human. It was basically the same. It needed a jewel, and it could transform into a dragon. It was the only one of it's kind. The last i heard, it was given to one of our kind, but it got lost, soon after."
"So...it's virtually lifeless."
"Oh no. Since...ancient civilizations tend to be more efficient than these new contraptions, it can activate itself, and it thinks for itself, but at the same time, responds to whoever owns it. The jewel would glow, once it is touched by it's owner, as you well know."
"Who owned it, and where is it, now?"
"Well...I really can't tell you. That is a secret."
"You're really useless."
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Milgazia was troubled. He stood at the balcony, thinking. He felt a presence behind him. Xelloss.

"My, my...well, How are you, Lord Milgazia?

"Not that it's any of your business, but as of the moment, I have nothing to say to you."

"But I have something to say to you. It really IS very interesting. I know what you've been thinking of. In fact I was explaining it all to Lina just this afternoon."

"Very well. If you must say it, then be done with it."

"Well..all I told her was about the first Gaimelef made, more than a thousand years ago, that actually looked human. They stopped making those after the first, as it began to show human qualities, such as emotion and free will. How were they to control it, then? Ah...such a sad thing, that. And would you know it still exists today? It's alive, somewhere..."


"You are the 'Keeper of Secrets'...why are you telling me this? What do you care about my interest in these things?"

"Oh...come on, old friend. Surely you know the answer to that. After all...That is YOUR very own secret..."

Milgazia felt a cold dread sneak into his heart. It couldn't be...

"Do you know how Gaimelefs recognize thier owners?" asked Xelloss, as he reached out to touch the red jewel on Milgazia's cloak. "Yes, my dear toy..." he continued, both eyes open "...I'm afraid it COULD BE!!!AHAHAHAHAHA!!!!"

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!"
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"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

THWACK!

"OW!"

"Honey, WHAT WERE YOU SCREAMING ABOUT???"

"LINA!!!"

"Who else would it be? Did you marry anyone else?"

It was a dream. Thank God. Milgazia embraced Lina ever so tightly.

"M-Mil...can't...breathe..."
"oh. sorry about that, dear."

He breathed a sigh of relief. Talk about scary. Being Xelloss' toy would've been the worst thing that could happen to him...He closed his eyes, as he drank in Lina's scent.

"Goodnight, Lina."

But she was already asleep. He looked at her again, what he saw shocked him to no end.

"Goodnight, my dear little toy!"

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!NOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Lina took off her Xelloss mask. "heheheh. gotcha, didn't I?"
"How did you know what I dreamt of?"
"Little trick I learned from Xelloss. Goodnight, dearest."

She snuggled a little closer to him. And they both fell asleep.
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Outside the window, you see two small figures, sitting on the roof of Milgazia and Lina's home, laughing their asses off.

"You enjoyed that a little too much, Xelloss!"

"It's the least I could do. Lucky him. He's got Lina. What Gives? I thought you were giving her to me?"

"Sore wa himitsu desu!!! maybe next time?"

"Okay!"

Xelloss kisses her on the cheek.

"I have some chores to do for Chaos and Shadow. Let's work together again, sometime soon!"

"YEAH! Next time, let's pick on Stone Boy!"

"JA!"

WELL....THAT'S ALL, FOLKS! WRITE ME AND TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK AT :

endarien21@pinoymail.com

ARIGATO! Hope you had fun reading this!