'We look like a load of bums.' Announced Cleo with disgust.
'We are a load of bums.'
Cleo gave Kai'ila an evil glare and looked around. The group was sitting on the roadside, a fire in a garbage bin. Xelloss was getting Filia drunk, by the look of it. L'risia had disappeared again.
'Where's L'ri?'
'Probably on the roof, watching the moon rise.'
Cleo blinked. 'The moon rises?'
'I think so.'
'Oh.' She looked up to the top of a skyscraper, shading her eyes although there really
was little need to.
'Hm.'
Another piece of paper dropped into her hands. Lina looked up. 'What's that, Cleo?'
Cleo frowned at the writing, and then sighed, and held it out for Filia to read, Xelloss looking over her shoulder.
'Dear Lina-tachi (inc three Chaos Priestess, Dynast & Casper). You're all in the same dimension! Good! However- nothings really happened. Yet. New test!' everyone groaned. Dynast started banging his head on a drain pipe. F ilia kept reading, ignoring Xelloss's breath on her neck with some difficulty.
'Uh- get some rest and then you will see what the test is- I should warn you that it is a very real threat. Love L-sama.'
'That's weird.' Amelia said after a moment's silence.
'Yeah, well, there's something u here I think you guys should see.' L'risia's voice floated down.
'What?' Val shouted up. L'risia leaned over the edge of the rood to look down at them, and shrugged her shoulders.
'It's like a hole. A hole in space.'
Pause.
'Good dramatic line.'
'Thanks.'
The group stood on top of the building, the wind blowing their clothes and making Xelloss shiver a bit, since Filia had dumped her spring water all over him, as well as Zelgadis's, who had donated his willingly to the cause. Lina and Cleo's had been taken somewhat more forcefully.
'I'm f-f-f-reeezing.' He muttered, shivering. He sneezed.
'Oh no, you were getting over a cold too, weren't you.' Val reminded him. Xelloss looked miserable, and sneezed so had he fell over onto his backside.
'Ow! Ah-CHOO.'
'Filia, since you're responsible for this,' Kai'ila said firmly, 'I think you should look after Xelloss.'
L'risia and Cleo's mouths slowly curved into evil grins which only Zelgadis and Lina noticed.
'What? But-'
'You did it before, and no one else will do it.'
'Miss Kai'ila, I-'
'NO, Amelia, you won't do it.' Repeated the three priestesses and Lina, who was getting the general idea and trying not to laugh.
'But- oh. Right. I'm not doing it.' Amelia said slowly.
'You're aren't?' Gourry asked.
'Nope.'
'But- Lina, what're we going going do about this big- black- hole thingy?'
'Hole thingy?' repeated L'risia, rasing an eyebrow. 'Haven't you ever seen a vortex before? No, I'm sure you wouldn't remember even if you had. This is what you do.'
L'risia walked to the edge of the skyscaper, muttered, 'I hate doing this-'
'Me first!' Cleo shouted, and threw herself off the side of the building.
'…oh.'
'Miss Cleo!'
'It's all right, she went into the vortex. There goes L'risia- Lina and Gourry- Kai'ila and Casper, Val-' Zelgadis paused. 'You want to go?'
'Uh- sure!' the black-haired girl replied, and unthinkingly took the chimera's hand as the stood on the edge. Zel turned pink but let himself be pulled along by Amelia anyway. Filia and Xelloss watched Dynast jump in.
'Is it safe?' Filia asked Xelloss, who sneezed as she ungraciously looped an his arm around her shoulders and put her arm about his waist, pulling him to his feet again.
'Oh yes.'
'You really do sound horrible.'
'Why thankyou, Fi-chan. I think I have pneumonia.'
'Will it kill you?' Filia asked, a trace of worry in her voice as they weaved awkwardly to the edge of the building.
'Hopefully.' Xelloss muttered.
'It's a cave.'
'It's is?'
'NO Gourry, it's just dark, rocky and bloody damp with stupid bloody annoying pebbles that slip out from under you-' L'risia snapped, who was dusting off the back of her jeans.
'What's with her?' Val asked Cleo.
'She slipped.'
'Oh. That explains the pebble thing. Where's mum and Xelloss?'
'Over here.' Filia said, 'and I think Xelloss is- very ill.'
'I should think so- do you know it was snowing just before we left?' Kai'ila muttered, finding the woman in the dark. She put a hand on Xelloss's forehead. There was a sizzling sound and she snatched it away,
'YOWCH! Owowowowowow-'
'Hot?' Casper inquired mildly, hands in his pockets.
'BLOODY SCALDING! Man you're really- oh he's unconscious.'
'That's not good.' L'risia said.
'It's wonderful.' Zelgadis said cheerfully. Cleo drove an elbow into his stomach, which surprisingly worked, although she rubbed her elbow for a little while afterwards.
'Amelia, is your magic working?' L'risia asked, casting a light spell. 'Mine is.'
Amelia noted the white glow in-between her hands.
'Yes.'
'Get to work on Xelloss, then,' Lina nodded, 'And L'ri's ankle could do with healing up too-'
'Uh, actually- Val already did that for me-' L'risia muttered. Lina grinned at her.
'What was that? Didn't her you. Did you say that V-'
'SHUT up Inverse.' L'risia growled, her eyes flashing gold.
'She gets mad when she's embarrassed.' Cleo told Lina, who was looking pretty nervous.
'Oh.'
There was a silence apart from muttering coming from Xelloss, in a deep fevered sleep.
'What's he saying Filia?' Val asked, sitting down.
'He keeps muttering "yes, my lady" over and over again.' Filia said, her voice distracted. She absently brushed the priest's hair out of his eyes. No one was suicidal enough to say anything, in fact, the atmosphere became rather miserable. The three priestesses were muttering in a shadowed corner.
'Look. We've got to get outta this mess. I'm claustrophobic!'
'I know that. But Xelloss-'
They glanced at the priest. 'L-sama will kill us if he…you know.'
'Dies?'
'L'risia, you're always so- depressing.'
'Practical. He's got pneumonia. We need to keep him warm, and we've got our magic, and Amelia, Filia and if it comes to it, Val too. We need to get out of here. Caves usually work in systems so if we pick a direction we should be able to get out sooner or later.'
'Uh, L'ri, Lina, Gourry, Zel and Amelia are mortals.'
'Oh yeah- well we'd better pick the right direction then.'
'Argh.'
'I can feel a breeze coming from up there.' Val ventured, pointing left.
'Is it warm or cool?'
'Warm.' Val said after a moments thought. The priestesses swapped glances.
'Good, that's where we're going. Zel and Val, could you carry Xelloss? We're gonna see how far we can get.'
'Sure.' The two boys lifted up the mumbling priest. Lina hung onto Gourry.
'Okay lets see how far we can get.' Cleo said, striking a pose Amelia-style. 'Onward! For the sake of-'
'Not Having to Look After Xelloss Anymore Than Is Necessary!'
'Everlasting Peace And Justice!'
'Not Being Killed Over a Period Of Many Long Year By L-sama!'
'Watching The End Of The Dragon Ball Z Marathon!'
There was a thoughtful silence.
'You know I'd completely forgotten about that, Dynast.'
'You did? How could you?'
'No idea. I feel like pizza.'
'With extra cheese.'
'And salami.'
'SHUT UP!'
'I. Am. Exhausted.' Lina announced, and promptly stopped flying, landing on the floor sleeping on impact.
'Well, she's out. How's Xelloss?'
'Same.' Val said worriedly, setting the man down gently. L'risia sat down next to the priest and rested her head on the wall before touching his forehead.
'Still burning. How the hell did he get this sick? He's a Mazoku general-priest! He can't get sick!'
'Maybe L-sama finds it amusing.' Filia said sourly, one of the few awake. In fact the only people who were awake were Cleo, Filia, Val, Zel and L'ri. The rest had fallen asleep. Cleo nodded to her friends and adjusted her cloak, falling asleep against the wall. Zel sat down as Val did as well, the young dragon putting his hands behind his head. Filia sat on the other side of Xelloss, L'ri and Val on the other side and Zel next to her.
'So we're in deep shit, huh.'
'Oh yeah.'
'An apparently never-ending cave system.'
'Damn right.'
'With a possibly dying-'
'Don't say that!' Filia snapped, tears welling up in her blue eyes. Zel and Val looked at her in surprise. L'risia shut her own.
'Filia- you're crying-'
'I'm just tired that's all! Just don't- don't say things like that!' Filia said furiously, voice shaking.
'O-okay-' Zel stuttered, taken aback. L'risia stood up and crouched in front of Filia.
'L'ri, what are you-' Val started.
'Sleep.'
L'risia flicked her finger, sending Filia into a soft sleep. There was a pause, and Zelgadis nudged Filia enough for her to rest her head against Xelloss's shoulder. L'risia and Val glanced at the chimera.
'I- do see what other people feel you know. And- Filia- well, she's-'
'Oh no.' Val whispered.
'She's all right for now, just when she realises we'll have to make sure she doesn't go suicidal. And he's charming enough.'
There was a pause from the males. 'You can't be serious.' Val said slowly.
'I am. In a parallel world he's got a cult following. He's sexy, gorgeous, cute, handsome, cunning-' she counted off on her fingers as she quoted, 'oh, and you, Zelgadis, are the same, by the way- possibly with more devoted fans.'
'D-D-D-devoted fans?' Zel stammered. 'I-he-you-WHAT?!'
'Sleep.'
There was another pause as L'risia sat back down.
'Devoted fans?'
'Oh you've got them too, Val. Bloody handsome is one of the best phrases-'
'You're scaring me, L'ri.' He cut in.
'That's what I'm here for.'
'What's wrong with Mr Zelgadis?' Amelia asked Cleo, 'he's been acting even stranger than usual.'
Cleo looked at L'risia, who seemed to have taken over Xelloss's role of being annoyingly cheerful. She also noticed Val was looking at her in a manner which suggested she might explode or worse at any second.
'I have my suspicions. L'ri darling-'
'I'm sorry I didn't do it I'm not paying for it.'
'No, not that- could I have a word?'
Whispers. L'risia nodded and Cleo and Kai'ila blinked at her before bursting into hysterical laughter which echoed all along the caves. Lina turned around.
'All right you two what the hell is going on.'
'Absolutely nothing!' the three women told her cheerfully. Lina growled, a spell forming in between her hands.
'No Lina!' Zel barked, 'if you cast anything more than a light spell this cave might collapse on us!'
Lina muttered something obscene under her breath and let the fireball fade, then collared Kai'ila.
'I just want you to answer one, simple question.'
'Shoot!'
Lina's eyes bugged out as she caught sight of something behind the group.
'WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?'
Kai'ila looked over her shoulder.
'Oh,' she said, 'I know that one.'
