I think I'm going to change the rating to R for violence right now

I think I'm going to change the rating to R for violence right now. Please review.

Silent Moon

Defeat was inevitable. He smirked, darkness caressing him with something more ardent than a lovers touch. He should give them a fighting chance, after all it would be displeased if he ruined all the fun, but he didn't particularly care. He had been created for one purpose and he would carry it out. Amusement was so overrated.

* * * *

"Damn, I wish I had my old sword," Gourry declared as he slashed through another shadow. The muscles on his arms and legs burned from his exertion. How long had they been fighting? Minutes? Hours? He had lost track more than a dozen shadow beings ago.

A familiar cry of pain caught his attention; he turned in time to see Lina disappear under a swarming mass of the beings. He leaped over to her, swinging wildly, a second later he was caught in the blast of a powerful fireball.

* * * *

The sorceress slowly dragged herself into a sitting position, bleeding from a dozen lacerations. She offered her charred companion a sheepish smile before she went on the offensive. But there were no more beasts. She cut a quick glance to the left and right, Zel and Amelia seemed a little worse for ware and the woman didn't seem to be faring much better. Other than that they were alone.

* * * *

He glared angrily at the aura that had banished his creatures. How dare She interfere? 'No direct influence at this time'? His scowl morphed into a cruel smile, there were always a way around such rules.

* * * *

"Is it alright?" Amelia asked with concern as she finished the healing spell. Kerenina nodded with a tight smile, hands protectively placed on her swelled stomach. Her dark brown hair obscured her features, hid the sudden flinch as the child kicked.

"Well, that tent's shot," Lina announced as she held the tattered waxed canvas up for everyone to see. The rain continued to down, the ground swiftly became the consistency of thick porridge.

"We can't stay here," Zelgadis observed dryly. "At least the forest might afford us some halfway decent cover." The others agreed with varying degrees of enthusiasm. Gourry assisted the pregnant woman with surprising delicacy.

"I'm beginning to remember why adventuring isn't all it's cracked up to be," Lina muttered as she nearly lost a boot to the thick mud. Together the tired companions trudged deeper into the forest to where the ground could be called reasonably firm. Each staked out a place under a tree and settled down, preparing to spend an excessively uncomfortable night.

Kerenina smiled softly as she felt the tiny life within her give a surprisingly strong kick. It hurt a little, but the pride and pure joy she felt masked all unpleasantness. She couldn't remember the father clearly. He had come and gone, an ephemeral dream or faint spirit. So had it been for all the women in her family. A man would come and stay the night, they would have intercourse and then he would be gone with the morning light. Dimly she could recall him saying something, something that she knew was vitally important. If only she could remember.

Sighing she pushed away those thoughts, they didn't matter anymore after all. She was filled with a sense of supreme happiness, something all expectant mothers must feel. Holding close the knowledge that they were about to bring into the world a new soul, fresh and clean of society's taint.

Sighing she attempted to roll onto her side, belatedly realized that such a feat was not only impractical but nearly in impossible in her present condition, and finally she righted herself. As she gazed up at the dark canopy, flinching as the occasional drop hit her face, she decided that she couldn't wait until the baby was born. At least then she would be able to sleep comfortably.

* * * *

"Good morning all," a deceptively cheerful voice said, the sound echoing eerily through the otherwise silent forest. Five heads snapped up simultaneously, eyes both fearful and determined scanning the area illuminated by pale morning light.

"Xelloss," Lina yelled as she jumped up, garnet eyes seething with unappeasable anger. "Where the hell are you?"

"Xelloss?" Kerenina said in confusion, attempting to catch someone's eye in order to clarify the situation. She took note of the varying expressions on her newly found companion's faces. The chimera man looked ready to destroy something, the princess had an odd look about her as if she couldn't wait to perform some act of…good? The blonde swordsman seemed unaffected by the whole thing, displaying mild interest.

"I'm right here, Lina. You don't have to yell," he chided her as he appeared next to her. The sorceress issued a small yelp of surprise and then slugged the man. Kerenina gasped at his sudden and inexplicable arrival, he couldn't be human could he?

"What are you doing here?" Zelgadis demanded as he stood up hand coming to rest automatically at his sword hilt.

"No real reason, I just have to kill her," he told them nonchalantly, his staff pointed at the pregnant woman.

"Aren't you supposed to say 'that's a secret' or something?" Gourry asked. Xelloss continued to smile, eyes closed, but the woman got the feeling her was slightly miffed with Gourry.

"This time it isn't," was his blithe reply. "I'm here to kill that woman and I have permission to destroy anyone who tries to stop me." The Last was said with open eyes, the violet orbs pinning each person with a look of malicious anticipation. He seemed to be daring someone to step up, to defend the helpless woman.

"You haven't been saying your 'life is wonderful' phrase twice a day have you?" Amelia accused him, during the whole commotion she had discovered a place of adequate height from which to deliver her questions. The man dressed as a priest flinched with each word she spoke, becoming acutely uncomfortable as her litany of why he should say such a thing continued for several minutes.

"I'm sorry, Xelloss, but we can't let you do that," Lina announced, cutting of the brunette without regard. "I guess we'll have to fight you."

"That's right, harming someone in itself is deplorable enough, but to even contemplate injuring a pregnant woman is an injustice that the very righteousness in my heart and soul will not stand for," the princess declared launching herself from the tree and falling on her face on the ground.

"I think you'd just better leave," Zelgadis informed him, ignoring the downed girl. A dark light entered his eyes, something that spoke of pent up anger that needed to be released. "Of course if you stay I'll have to kill you."

"I don't know what's going on, but I wont allow this woman to be hurt by anyone," the blonde swordsman announced as he withdrew his weapon.

"Oh my, I see you all aren't going to cooperate at all," the priest remarked with a sigh of resignation. "I guess I have no other choice but to destroy each and every one of you."

"Come on, Xelloss, what are you trying to pull off?" Lina growled, the workings of a fireball beginning to burn between her hands. "What is your game this time?"

He winked at her and wagged a finger, "Now that is a secret, my dear. Oh and I forgot to mention this, but I won't be the one fighting you just yet. I have something of a present for you all."

"Really?" Gourry asked in excitement before Lina kneed him in a sensitive region.

"Oh indeed, I think you'll be quite surprised by this one," he replied with mysterious smirk. "Hope you enjoy it."

Amelia barely had time to throw up a defensive shield as a several flare arrows flew towards them.

"Master Xelloss has commanded me to destroy you all," a coldly familiar voice declared. From behind a tree a dark figure emerged, clothed completely in black.

"Sylphiel?" Gourry cried.

* * * *

This seems to be moving along nicely. I should have the next one out pretty soon. Please review.