A rather old, semi-OOC fic, by now I'm a bit embarressed by it. I don't own Slayers, although once I did want to.
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Lina giggled, feeling a little tipsy as she held her cup out for another refill. Luna oblidgingly re-filled the the cup. They were celebrating their success at the spun glass competition today, and that they had made it into the semi-finals. Rain splattered on the window with increasing fierceness.
"Thhh ... They 'ever 'ew what hic hit 'em!" Lina chortled, waving airily to indicate the other glass-makers that had entered the competition. Luna shook her head, still amazed at how much alcohol her little sister had learned to put away. Little Lina was almost on par with that Nahga woman Luna had met once .... and from the way Nahga had raved on, Lina had learned how to drink from Nahga.
A polite knock on the door got both their attention, although Lina's quickly went back to her wine glass. Luna stood, and opened the door, revealing Zelas and most of her family. Zelas smiled, and reached over to give Luna a hug. "It's good to see you again, Luna."
"As good as it is to see you again, old friend." Luna returned the hug as everyone else tromped inside and began hanging up their rain-soaked cloaks. "Well, now, don't just stand here, introduce Lina and I to everyone."
A resounding thud of a chair hitting the floor behind Luna cut sharply through the chatter of introductions. Lina stood, wine glass forgotten on the floor, the chair on it's back behind her, her eyes wide as she stared at one of Zelas's sons.
"Zelgadis ...?" Lina's harsh whisper echoed oddly, almost reverntly.
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Her hair was just as red as he remembered it. Red as flame, as vibrant as a rose, sparking and rustling with life. But her gem-bright eyes had darkened, sorrow taken place behind them.
But this was the first time Zelros had met her!
He remembered a dance, her in his arms ... the only time he had been able to dance with her, the only time he had ever danced, at the ball in honor of Prince Philionel's finally taking his rightful place upon the Seyruun throne ...
That couldn't have happened! He was only seventy-eight, and that had happened over a hundred years ago!
Wave upon wave of memory assailed Zelros, flooding him with emotions too tangled and vibrant to understand at once. And the cause of these memories, eyes wide and bright with tears, stared mutely at him from across the room, trembling steps taking her slowly closer to him.
Again she whispered, the name cutting into his heart like a knife. "Zelgadis .... "
The way he had looked flashed briefly across his mind's eye, and he could understand her shock. While his features had only changed slightly, causing the originally faint resemblence between Zelgadis and Xeros to grow stronger, much else had changed completely. He was taller, even as his brother was now shorter than he had been. Both of them had pointed ears, and pale blue skin. Their hair was only two shades different, much lighter, and much darker, than eithers had been to begin with.
"Lina ... " Zelros's voice was equally soft, hesitant. But it was the final key, and Lina was in his arms, clinging and crying, while at the same time berating him for leaving her alone for so long. "I'm sorry Lina ... I'm sorry, love ... hush, it'll be all right."
Lina pulled back slightly to stare into his eyes, hardly believing that he was here, holding her like she had longed for him to do for so long. Her hand trembled as she reached up to run her fingers along his cheek. "Why?"
"You were to marry the prince. I couldn't live without you anymore, I loved - love you so much."
"You never said anything ... I had given up hope that you ever felt as I did. I needed you so much, and suddenly, you were gone."
"Could a monster ever hope a lady might love him?" Zelros's voice was solemn, his eyes serious and filled with an old pain. Lina's eyes widened in sudden comprehension. And then a sly twinkle, much like there used to be in her eyes, appeared. "You never were a monster to me, Zelgadis Greywers."
A smile, almost blinding in it's happiness, spread across his features. He placed a finger on her lips, a silent gesture of affection. "My name is Zelros now."
"You're still my Zel." Lina said firmly, standing on tiptoe while pulling his head down to kiss him firmly. His arms tightened their grip and lifted her off the floor, easing the strain in their necks without breaking off their kiss. The cheers from their families eventually broke through their haze of pleasure. Blushing, they turned their heads to look at their relatives, though Zel didn't let Lina go. Chattering happily, the two families surrounded the glowing couple, offering congratulatory advice. Xeadis's voice cut through all of that like a hot knife through butter, dripping with amusement. "Well, well. I leave you alone for just a few minutes, and you've got a woman in your arms."
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They turned and looked towards the door where Xeadis stood. His face was paler than normal, and while there was a mockingly amused expression on his face, the tightness around his eyes and a faint glitter of tears bespoke of a deeper sorrow. Firia stood beside him, her face white and a haunted look about her eyes. Her eyes darted around the room, then focused upon Lina in Zelros's arms. A tremulous smile alighted briefly upon Firia's features, but was quickly replaced by tears that streamed down her cheeks. Tears that were only briefly seen as Firia rushed upstairs, quickly followed by the slamming of her bedroom door.
"Que sera ..." Xeadis murmured, following his statement with bitter laughter. He looked at Lina, the Zel, finally addressing his next statement to his brother. "I wish you both well .... and farewell, my brother."
With those words, Xeadis disappeared from the doorway at a run, and was soon lost from sight. When Zelros made a move to follow his twin, Zelas barred the way with her arm. "Go help Lina with Firia. I have already called for someone to fully awaken his heritage."
Lina and Zel shared a glance of puzzlement. "Fully awaken his heritage?"
"I made him Mazoku, I made him from the flesh of his father. Contact with Firia has awakened his memories as a Mazoku .... But now, his heritage from his father needs to awaken, thought it will cause him great pain.
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So damn close! For once he had dared hope that maybe now, with his new body and powers, he could dare be close to Firia. And she had paid for his hope in pain. "Once a Mazoku, always a Mazoku." Xeadis spoke bitterly, anguish raging within him even as he finished his third lap of the city.
"And to a dragon's fair flesh, the touch of a Mazoku's skin burns like a red-hot iron." The only Mazoku Xeadis - then Xeros - had ever seen without this curse had been Valgarv ... Valgarv who had done what he had never been able to do. A simple touch, not even a romantic one, shared with Firia.
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Val sighed, watching Xeadis come close to completing another lap around the city. He had thought that burning off some of that energy would have helped, but it seemed all it had done was give Xeadis more time to think.
Val stepped forward, directly into Xeadis's path, his outfit carefully selected to match what he had worn the first time they had met. Xeadis skidded to a stop, his eyes wide with shock. Val spoke, his voice even, and calm. "I challenge you."
Val pulled his sword from it's sheath upon his back, eyeing Xeadis warily. While Val remembered many of the skills he had learned in his first life, Xeadis still had been trained in the use of a sword for much longer. He dearly wished had never accepted Zelas's bargain at times, but in the end, the reward was greater than the cost he must do now. "I challenge you, Xeadis who was once Xeros, Xeros who was born of Zelas and Xeron."
Xeadis stood, a calm readiness in his posture despite his violent emotional state. He did not want to hurt Val, harm Firia's foster son. But maybe, just maybe, a good fight would help him get control of his emotions ... "What are the terms of combat?"
"No magic. No powers at all other than your speed and my wings. No teleportation, or shape-changing. A fight to third blood, or death. Whichever comes first."
"Quite a stiff set of rules ... I accept."
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The people of Zephilia shivered, hiding under their beds and in their ce llars. Unearthly screams and explosions sounded within their fair city and above it. It was a day that would go down in the history of their land.
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Val watched Xeadis look around cautiously on the street below. Here was the tricky part. It would either work, or kill Xeadis. Offering a silent prayer up to whoever might be listening, Val spread his wings and swooped down upon his unsuspecting combatant. It was surprisingly easy to lift him off the ground and into the air. A swift set of wingbeats had both of them far, far, far above the ground.
There were words Zelas had wanted to be spoken to Xeadis at this point, before Val could finish the task. "Find your wings, Son of Xeron, last child of the Leku bloodline."
With those words, Val let go.
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... last child of the Leku bloodline? Xeadis heard the words echo through his mind even as the wind whistled past his ears. Find his wings? ... last child ... Leku ... Leku is another word for Ancient ... Xeadis's eyes opened wide as something deep within him stretched ....
.... and awoke.
A feeling of fire rushed through him, setting him ablaze with agony. He could feel his body change, shifting, becomins more true to itself. Mental and physical masks were ripped aside in a blaze of pain and acceptance.
Xeadis spread his wings, still wet with the blood of their birth from his shoulders, and flew. Laughing with delight.
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Zelas felt the change in her son, and smiled, making her way upstairs to Firia's room. Firia lay huddled on the bed, weeping, while Zelros and Lina tried to comfort her. Firia glanced up to see who had come in, and stopped, caught by the quiet joy in Zelas's expression. Zelas came into the room and began gently wiping away Firia's tears. "He's awoken, little one. You won't be apart any longer."
Her smile widened, and she gently helped Firia to stand up. "Indeed, he should be here soon.... in fact, that is most likely him now."
The front door opened and shut with a bang, and someone began walking up the stairs. The tread was unsteady, occaisionally faltering. But determined.
And then whoever it was, was outside the door. A pale hand pushed on the door, which was half-closed, and gently swung it completely open.
"Xer ... Xeros ... " Firia's voice was raspy with disuse, and scratched and snagged it way free of her throat. Xeadis smiled gently, his eyes warm with the love he felt, and opened his arms to her. Arms which held her gently after she had run to him ... his wings curving gently around them both.
"I love you." Xeadis's voice was a soft whisper in Firia's ear, the warmth of his cheek against hers, the gentle rustle of feathers all around them.
"I love you, now, and forever."
##@##
Lina giggled, feeling a little tipsy as she held her cup out for another refill. Luna oblidgingly re-filled the the cup. They were celebrating their success at the spun glass competition today, and that they had made it into the semi-finals. Rain splattered on the window with increasing fierceness.
"Thhh ... They 'ever 'ew what hic hit 'em!" Lina chortled, waving airily to indicate the other glass-makers that had entered the competition. Luna shook her head, still amazed at how much alcohol her little sister had learned to put away. Little Lina was almost on par with that Nahga woman Luna had met once .... and from the way Nahga had raved on, Lina had learned how to drink from Nahga.
A polite knock on the door got both their attention, although Lina's quickly went back to her wine glass. Luna stood, and opened the door, revealing Zelas and most of her family. Zelas smiled, and reached over to give Luna a hug. "It's good to see you again, Luna."
"As good as it is to see you again, old friend." Luna returned the hug as everyone else tromped inside and began hanging up their rain-soaked cloaks. "Well, now, don't just stand here, introduce Lina and I to everyone."
A resounding thud of a chair hitting the floor behind Luna cut sharply through the chatter of introductions. Lina stood, wine glass forgotten on the floor, the chair on it's back behind her, her eyes wide as she stared at one of Zelas's sons.
"Zelgadis ...?" Lina's harsh whisper echoed oddly, almost reverntly.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Her hair was just as red as he remembered it. Red as flame, as vibrant as a rose, sparking and rustling with life. But her gem-bright eyes had darkened, sorrow taken place behind them.
But this was the first time Zelros had met her!
He remembered a dance, her in his arms ... the only time he had been able to dance with her, the only time he had ever danced, at the ball in honor of Prince Philionel's finally taking his rightful place upon the Seyruun throne ...
That couldn't have happened! He was only seventy-eight, and that had happened over a hundred years ago!
Wave upon wave of memory assailed Zelros, flooding him with emotions too tangled and vibrant to understand at once. And the cause of these memories, eyes wide and bright with tears, stared mutely at him from across the room, trembling steps taking her slowly closer to him.
Again she whispered, the name cutting into his heart like a knife. "Zelgadis .... "
The way he had looked flashed briefly across his mind's eye, and he could understand her shock. While his features had only changed slightly, causing the originally faint resemblence between Zelgadis and Xeros to grow stronger, much else had changed completely. He was taller, even as his brother was now shorter than he had been. Both of them had pointed ears, and pale blue skin. Their hair was only two shades different, much lighter, and much darker, than eithers had been to begin with.
"Lina ... " Zelros's voice was equally soft, hesitant. But it was the final key, and Lina was in his arms, clinging and crying, while at the same time berating him for leaving her alone for so long. "I'm sorry Lina ... I'm sorry, love ... hush, it'll be all right."
Lina pulled back slightly to stare into his eyes, hardly believing that he was here, holding her like she had longed for him to do for so long. Her hand trembled as she reached up to run her fingers along his cheek. "Why?"
"You were to marry the prince. I couldn't live without you anymore, I loved - love you so much."
"You never said anything ... I had given up hope that you ever felt as I did. I needed you so much, and suddenly, you were gone."
"Could a monster ever hope a lady might love him?" Zelros's voice was solemn, his eyes serious and filled with an old pain. Lina's eyes widened in sudden comprehension. And then a sly twinkle, much like there used to be in her eyes, appeared. "You never were a monster to me, Zelgadis Greywers."
A smile, almost blinding in it's happiness, spread across his features. He placed a finger on her lips, a silent gesture of affection. "My name is Zelros now."
"You're still my Zel." Lina said firmly, standing on tiptoe while pulling his head down to kiss him firmly. His arms tightened their grip and lifted her off the floor, easing the strain in their necks without breaking off their kiss. The cheers from their families eventually broke through their haze of pleasure. Blushing, they turned their heads to look at their relatives, though Zel didn't let Lina go. Chattering happily, the two families surrounded the glowing couple, offering congratulatory advice. Xeadis's voice cut through all of that like a hot knife through butter, dripping with amusement. "Well, well. I leave you alone for just a few minutes, and you've got a woman in your arms."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
They turned and looked towards the door where Xeadis stood. His face was paler than normal, and while there was a mockingly amused expression on his face, the tightness around his eyes and a faint glitter of tears bespoke of a deeper sorrow. Firia stood beside him, her face white and a haunted look about her eyes. Her eyes darted around the room, then focused upon Lina in Zelros's arms. A tremulous smile alighted briefly upon Firia's features, but was quickly replaced by tears that streamed down her cheeks. Tears that were only briefly seen as Firia rushed upstairs, quickly followed by the slamming of her bedroom door.
"Que sera ..." Xeadis murmured, following his statement with bitter laughter. He looked at Lina, the Zel, finally addressing his next statement to his brother. "I wish you both well .... and farewell, my brother."
With those words, Xeadis disappeared from the doorway at a run, and was soon lost from sight. When Zelros made a move to follow his twin, Zelas barred the way with her arm. "Go help Lina with Firia. I have already called for someone to fully awaken his heritage."
Lina and Zel shared a glance of puzzlement. "Fully awaken his heritage?"
"I made him Mazoku, I made him from the flesh of his father. Contact with Firia has awakened his memories as a Mazoku .... But now, his heritage from his father needs to awaken, thought it will cause him great pain.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
So damn close! For once he had dared hope that maybe now, with his new body and powers, he could dare be close to Firia. And she had paid for his hope in pain. "Once a Mazoku, always a Mazoku." Xeadis spoke bitterly, anguish raging within him even as he finished his third lap of the city.
"And to a dragon's fair flesh, the touch of a Mazoku's skin burns like a red-hot iron." The only Mazoku Xeadis - then Xeros - had ever seen without this curse had been Valgarv ... Valgarv who had done what he had never been able to do. A simple touch, not even a romantic one, shared with Firia.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Val sighed, watching Xeadis come close to completing another lap around the city. He had thought that burning off some of that energy would have helped, but it seemed all it had done was give Xeadis more time to think.
Val stepped forward, directly into Xeadis's path, his outfit carefully selected to match what he had worn the first time they had met. Xeadis skidded to a stop, his eyes wide with shock. Val spoke, his voice even, and calm. "I challenge you."
Val pulled his sword from it's sheath upon his back, eyeing Xeadis warily. While Val remembered many of the skills he had learned in his first life, Xeadis still had been trained in the use of a sword for much longer. He dearly wished had never accepted Zelas's bargain at times, but in the end, the reward was greater than the cost he must do now. "I challenge you, Xeadis who was once Xeros, Xeros who was born of Zelas and Xeron."
Xeadis stood, a calm readiness in his posture despite his violent emotional state. He did not want to hurt Val, harm Firia's foster son. But maybe, just maybe, a good fight would help him get control of his emotions ... "What are the terms of combat?"
"No magic. No powers at all other than your speed and my wings. No teleportation, or shape-changing. A fight to third blood, or death. Whichever comes first."
"Quite a stiff set of rules ... I accept."
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The people of Zephilia shivered, hiding under their beds and in their ce llars. Unearthly screams and explosions sounded within their fair city and above it. It was a day that would go down in the history of their land.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Val watched Xeadis look around cautiously on the street below. Here was the tricky part. It would either work, or kill Xeadis. Offering a silent prayer up to whoever might be listening, Val spread his wings and swooped down upon his unsuspecting combatant. It was surprisingly easy to lift him off the ground and into the air. A swift set of wingbeats had both of them far, far, far above the ground.
There were words Zelas had wanted to be spoken to Xeadis at this point, before Val could finish the task. "Find your wings, Son of Xeron, last child of the Leku bloodline."
With those words, Val let go.
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... last child of the Leku bloodline? Xeadis heard the words echo through his mind even as the wind whistled past his ears. Find his wings? ... last child ... Leku ... Leku is another word for Ancient ... Xeadis's eyes opened wide as something deep within him stretched ....
.... and awoke.
A feeling of fire rushed through him, setting him ablaze with agony. He could feel his body change, shifting, becomins more true to itself. Mental and physical masks were ripped aside in a blaze of pain and acceptance.
Xeadis spread his wings, still wet with the blood of their birth from his shoulders, and flew. Laughing with delight.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Zelas felt the change in her son, and smiled, making her way upstairs to Firia's room. Firia lay huddled on the bed, weeping, while Zelros and Lina tried to comfort her. Firia glanced up to see who had come in, and stopped, caught by the quiet joy in Zelas's expression. Zelas came into the room and began gently wiping away Firia's tears. "He's awoken, little one. You won't be apart any longer."
Her smile widened, and she gently helped Firia to stand up. "Indeed, he should be here soon.... in fact, that is most likely him now."
The front door opened and shut with a bang, and someone began walking up the stairs. The tread was unsteady, occaisionally faltering. But determined.
And then whoever it was, was outside the door. A pale hand pushed on the door, which was half-closed, and gently swung it completely open.
"Xer ... Xeros ... " Firia's voice was raspy with disuse, and scratched and snagged it way free of her throat. Xeadis smiled gently, his eyes warm with the love he felt, and opened his arms to her. Arms which held her gently after she had run to him ... his wings curving gently around them both.
"I love you." Xeadis's voice was a soft whisper in Firia's ear, the warmth of his cheek against hers, the gentle rustle of feathers all around them.
"I love you, now, and forever."
