Slayers: FOAM
by
Nin Tendo
Chapter 1 ~ In Which the Mysterious Hero is Saved by the Damsel in Distress
~ Disclaimer ~ I really do not have the creative genious to come up with something like Slayers...(smile)
Author's Forward: YES, this IS the Slayers fic you've all been waiting for! (Nin's nose extends dramatically, branching off and poking out Jillas and Gravos' remaining eyes) Umm...whoops. YOU GUYS DIDN'T SEE THAT!!! (Of course, since they're both blind now, they COULDN'T see that...*silence*...*cough*)
Um, well, moving on...
THE WARNINGS
1. This Slayers fic has the potential to become a soap opera (hense, the title), so you may or my not enjoy the upcoming fic. (Though, it's not a satire or parody, so don't expect TOO many laughs. It's more of an angsty drama than anything else)
2. This Slayers fic will support the traditional pairing and ONLY the traditional pairings. According to the authoress, Xelfi (aka X/F) is a traditional pairing. Beware of mindless fluff scenes. Beware of anti- character-bashing. Beware of the corpses of character-bashers littering the review box. (cough)
3. This Slayers fic is mainly a Xellos introspective (among other characters). In other words, the authoress thought up an intricate little series of events that shamelessly provide excuses for Xellos' actions throughout his lifetime. Yes, you may actually be INTRIGED by the authoress' unique (?) ideas, but that is what it all boils down to. Seriously. Nothing new here.
4. The authoress apologizes in advance for any and all action scenes. They were never her forte, and shall never be. It doesn't really help that there are a bagillion spells to choose from, either. She might even make up a few. Who knows? Sudden inspiration may jump forth and rob her of sanity. Again.
5. Gourry will be the first person to unravel the mysterious schemes surrounding the universe. He will promptly forget to tell everyone else, and store the information deep inside his subconscious mind, thinking that everybody else had already figured it out. He will eventually remember it again...however, it will be TOO LATE (evil, gutteral laughter).
6. Dub language alert! (For the poor, poor newbies. n_n) Also note that I don't have a working spellchecker--please report any typos or misspellings. n_n And no Japanese. (How in tarnation do you spell 'Seyruun', anyhow?)
7. The authoress apologizes for rambling--it's what she does. If you're still there: ENJOY THE FIC! n.n
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"Something catastrophic is about to occur," Xellos finally answered after a long moment of silence.
Greater Beast Zelas Metallium peered down from her throne, looking at her priest with a startled gaze, for the cheerful expression that normally adorned his face was wearing thin.
"The Lord of Nightmares has spoken," Xellos continued. "There is no way to prevent this conflict from breaking loose. It is much too late to take the necessary precautions now."
Xellos was an extremely unique monster, Zelas reflected. Due to his...unique creation, not only was he the most powerful lesser-demon, but he had also aquired what could be called a gift of prophecy--he could commune with the Lord of Nightmares herself. Such a useful trait was one of the reasons that had convinced her that he was the only servant that she would ever need.
The downside, of course, was that the Lord of Nightmares did not permit Xellos to tell her all the details--only what she willed him to speak.
Such a powerful servant. Were he anyone but himself, she would question his loyalty. However, Xellos was Xellos, the same monster who had proved him loyalty so completely and thoroughly, and so soon after his very creation, too. He continued to prove his allegeance even now, as each second passed without a move against her.
For, in her current position, Xellos could most easily dispose of his master, yet he chose not to.
As was the custom, Zelas inquired, "Will my health be threatened by this upcoming danger?"
Every other time she had asked this question out of self-preservation, Xellos had most easily answered "No" or "Not any more than anyone else's", but, on this day, Xellos had no other reply than a troubled expression.
"I see," Zelas replied.
"I fear that I will be unable to protect you this time," her priest said in shame.
Zelas graced him with a chuckle. "Don't concern yourself about me, Xellos. You've spent the last thousand years ensuring my safety. I assure you, your service has been very much appreciated. Even if I shall not survive this conflict, you must remember that you have extended my life by a full millenium. I thank you for that."
Xellos stepped forward, knelt, and rested his head on her lap. "I wanted to grant your freedom from this prison," he whispered.
"Even by trying your hardest for another thousand years, you would not have succeeded," Zelas, replied, running her fingers though his hair. "Death may be my only escape..."
They remained that way for well over an hour, whispering unfinished dreams of the future, reveling in the illusion of each other's breathing. They took in all the little details, commiting them to memory, knowing deep in their hearts that this could very well be the last time that they would see each other alive and well. It is in this way that they gave their final farewells.
Finally, Xellos raised his head from her lap and announced, "It is beginning."
"Go, my son," Zelas replied, "and do what must be done."
Xellos pressed his lips against her cheek, then replied, "Good luck, Mother. You will be free at any rate."
When he transported away, Zelas tracked him, finding him to appear among Lina Inverse's group.
She raised her hand to her face to touch the place where Xellos had kissed her. She growled at the sound of metal against metal.
The shackles, which she had managed to disguise as bangles, had been in place for nearly a millenium, sealing her and her influence from the rest of the world.
Surely their enchantment was wearing thin by now, especially since their creator had been killed over a year ago.
Zelas Metallium tranformed into her monster form, howling at the darkening sky outside the window as she called forth all her remaining power, pulling against the enchantment, gnawing against her bonds.
For over a thousand years, Xellos had managed to keep her weakness a secret, eliminating any and all unfortunate souls unlucky enough to discover the information, preventing any conflict from ever reaching Wolf Pack Island, their home. He had spent a thousand years gathering power to set her free.
If she survived long enough to break the chains, his goals would be accomplished.
And, if she managed to survive past that, she would still have a millenium's worth of debts to repay him.
===============================================================
The attack had been unexpected and utterly devastating.
The infamous bandit-killer, Lina Inverse, and her guardian, Gourry Gabriev, currently on a quest to find a much better sword to replace his current one, had once again intercepted the justice-loving Amelia Wil Telsa Seyruun and the angst-driven Zelgadiss Greywords, meeting the former on her return to Seyruun after yet another diplomatic mission to a foriegn kingdom, and the latter just in time to prove yet another wild goose chase of a cure wrong.
And, in the midst of reunion, the ambush clearly carried the element of surprise.
Their attacker was female, short, and beautiful, but extremely deadly and dangerous, as they soon found out. The slitted blue eyes were what identified her as something other than a human being.
Obviously a high-ranking monster, the blue-haired young woman sent them all flying with her first attack, and the second was only partially deflected by a hastily cast barrier.
The monster was grinning madly, and, when she wasn't laughing maniacally, she mumbled something beneath her breath, over and over again.
In a great deal of pain, the Slayers slowly stood up. Noticing that their attacker seemed content to merely look at them and giggle, they put together a last second plan.
Knowing that physical attacks were of no use against monsters, Lina explained to Gourry that he would be the diversion. When the monster was least expecting, he would get out of the way and the other three would nail her with a combined astral attack.
However, the plan was foiled before it even began, as the monster recognized Lina as the team leader and decided that it would be wise to take her out first.
The devastating blow hit Lina front and center, sending her flying backwards into the rocky mountainside. The pain was so intense that she found herself unable to even scream as her back was torn apart by the jagged rocks, and she fell to the earth in silent unconsciousness, her blood soaking the dry soil.
The others succumbed to shock for an unmeasurable moment, but then all three were shouting her name in horror. Amelia raced toward Lina's fallen form, and the two swordsmen turned to attack the one responsible.
Scraping her knees when she fell to the ground beside her best friend, Amelia forced herself to ignore the rapidly growing pool of blood and focused her very being on casting Resurrection. Lina was in critical condition--if she didn't hurry, she would die.
Forgetting completely that his sword wouldn't harm the monster in the least bit, Gourry lost himself in the motions of the blade. Each blow was firm and fast, and each strike would have undoubtedly killed any mortal being. However, being a monster, Gourry's quarry was able to dodge the lightning quick strikes and the few that actually managed to connect failed to do much damage.
Zelgadiss, who had been able to calmly assess the situation before attacking blindly, cast a protective Ray Wing spell around himself and Gourry, managing to connect a few Almekia Lances as the monster was unable to dodge both him an Gourry at the same time.
But it didn't take long for Zelgadiss to realize that his astral attacks weren't working. He tried a Ra Tilt--to no avail.
Aknowledging that Lina was probably the only one with a chance at winning against this opponent, Zelgadiss put all his strength into maintaining his Ray Wing.
Quickly boring of playing dodge, the monster turned on the offensive, surprising Zelgadiss with her sheer strength. The Ray Wing collapsed similar to a bubble popping and the two were tossed backwards, landing just ahead of Amelia and Lina, who seemed to be slowly recovering. The impact seemed to knock Gourry back to his senses.
The swordsmen groaned as they rose to their feet, not about to back down just yet. They glared at the approaching monster even as fear seized their hearts. They would protect these two girls even if it meant their own lives--and, seeing as how things were going so far, Zelgadiss thought, it probably would.
Gourry swallowed heavily. "Zelgadiss," he mumbled, "get the girls out of here while I keep her busy."
"Are you crazy, Gourry?!" Zelgadiss hissed back. "Even if I could manage to Ray Wing both the girls to safety without aggravating Lina's injuries or distracting Amelia, you wouldn't be able to hold her off long enough for me to even make it into the air!"
Gourry bit his lip, for the first time, seriously considering if any of them would make it out of this alive.
"I don't have any other ideas, Zelgadiss."
Taking a deep breath, Zelgadiss replied, "I think the only option we have left is to somehow stall until Lina wakes up, and I'm not exactly confident in our ability to do even that." He drew his sword, casting Astral Vine.
They looked at each other with a sort of mutual understanding.
Yes, they were willing to lay down their lives if it meant that the girls behind them would breathe a moment more.
But they didn't get the chance to show their unwavering loyalty and bravery at that point, since another form phased into existance beside them, black, priestly robes and purple hair billowing in the wind, and a familiar closed- eye grin shining in the afternoon sun.
Well, it was definitely not Prince Charming.
"XELLOS?!" Gourry and Zelgadiss exclaimed, recognizing him instantly, and instantly wondering what had happened to his policy of 'appearing when they didn't need him and disappearing when they needed him the most'.
"Why, hello my friends!" Xellos greeted, diirecting a cheesy smile towards them for maximum effect. "You certainly have a bizarre ability to attract Dark Lords, don't you?"
"D-D-D-Dark Lords?" Gourry stuttered. He might be a little dim now and then, but after all the adventures with Lina, he understood beyond a doubt that: Dark Lord - Lina = Certain Doom.
Zelgadiss blinked, but was hardly surprised, considering that he traveled with THIS group.
The Dark Lord standing before them noticed the newcomer, paused, then growled.
Xellos stepped forward, giving his full attention to the angry woman. The grin snapped off his face like a relaxing elastic band and he entered a ready stance. Opening his eyes as if unveiling a threat, he said, "Well, Deep Sea Dolphin, it's been a long time since I've seen your face. Tell me, are the rumors concerning your sanity true? Because, attacking Lina Inverse, especially when she is needed the most, proves it beyond a doubt."
Deep Sea snarled at the priest, releasing her full power to form a dark aura around her body.
Xellos followed suit, shouting, "By the will of the Lord of Nightmares, I swear that this blasphemy will not go unpunished!"
A ball of black energy gathered around the gem on his staff and Xellos continued:
"And, by my own will, I swear that any who dares to harm Lina Inverse will not live to see sunset!"
And with that, the first shots were fired and the battle began, much too fast for the human eye to follow, as Xellos and the Dark Lord teleported back and forth between this world and the astral plane, decimating entire mountains and forests in their wake.
Gourry and Zelgadiss had taken the extra time to drop to their knees and recover some of their lost strength.
"Is it just me," Gourry asked, "or did Xellos get more powerful since we've saw him last?"
Zelgadiss shook his head. "I'd wager that this is actually the first time we've seen him use his full power. Although, it is a little strange that he can keep up with a Dark Lord." He closed his eyes, concentrating on healing himself.
Gourry nodded, and another thought occured to him. "Hey, Zelgadiss?"
Zelgadiss sighed as his concentration broke. "What is it, Gourry?" He winced as another mountain was flattened.
"I know that we didn't really catch everything that Xellos said, since we were both trying to catch our breath, but, since when does he fight in the name of this 'Lord of Nightmares' guy, and why is he so pissed off about Lina getting hurt? I thought he LIKED it when people got hurt!"
If Zelgadiss had been drinking a beverage, he would have choked on it. "You're right, Gourry!" he exclaimed.
But Gourry wasn't listening, because he had rushed over to Lina's side after accidently reminding himself that she was hurt.
Zelgadiss sweatdropped, then sighed and made his way over there as well, also concerned about Lina's condition.
What he found was a nearly unconscious Amelia, due to all the energy she'd spent trying to save her best friend. Helping her into a sitting position, Zelgadiss asked, "How is she?"
"Mr. Zelgadiss...?" she murmered, half hearing the question. If it wasn't for his hands on her shoulders, she would have fallen over. "I saw her chest move... Did I do alright, Mr. Zelgadiss...?"
He looked over at Gourry, who was checking for a pulse. When the blonde swordsman sighed in relief, Zelgadiss turned back to her and said, "You did just fine, Amelia." A small smile crept across his face as she fell into unconsciousness.
Zelgadiss gently laid her down on the ground and, almost as an afterthought, tucked an errant strand of hair behind her ear. Another forest caught fire behind them.
Satisfied with Lina's health, Gourry took hold of the petite girl's shoulders and gently shook her awake as he murmered beneath his breath, "Come on, Lina. Wake up. I need you to wake up so you can tell me what I should do!" The Lord of Nightmares knew that Gourry had no idea what to do now. Lina would be able to help him, wouldn't she?
Lina groaned, then opened her eyes to see Gourry's face hovering just a tad too close for comfort. She blushed a brilliant red akin to her hair and eyes, and roughly pushed him away.
Landing tush-first in the dirt, Gourry didn't hesitate a moment before blurting out, "Lina, the Dark Lord hurt you but Amelia saved you and now she's sleeping but when me and Zel attacked the Dark Lord we didn't hurt her at all and then Xellos came shouting something about 'black is perty' and saved us and he's fighting her right now but the last time Xellos fought a dark lord he got beat up bad and I think he might need some help! Whatarewegoingtodo?!"
If Lina didn't have a headache before, she definitely did now. Trying her best to concentrate on his words, she rubbed her forehead and asked for clarification. "So, that monster is a Dark Lord and Xellos is fighting her?" A mountain behind her was reduced to rubble
"Yes," Zelgadiss said, before Gourry could confuse her even more. "But the strange thing is, when Xellos attacked Deep Sea Dolphin, he claimed to be carrying out the wishes of the Lord of Nightmares!"
Lina's eyes widened and she exclaimed, "WHAAAAAT?"
"And he go really mad at the Dolphin Lady for hurting you," Gourry added. "He said that you were needed--whatever that means."
Head reeling with all the new info, Lina fought to make sense of it all. "So," she finally said, "you're saying that, if what Xellos said is true, that the Lord of Nightmares needs me for something and Deep Sea Dolphin's attack on us went against her plans, so she sent Xellos here to dispose of her?"
Gourry just stared, blankly, unable to absorb any new data at this point, but Zelgadiss replied, "It seems so."
Lina pressed her hands to her temples, groaned, and muttered, "Oh, Lord of Nightmares! Why can't you choose someone else to do the dirty work once in a while! Can't I have a few days off?!"
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Meanwhile, Xellos and Deep Sea had only managed to inflict minor wounds, despite the untold amount of landscape damage.
Funny, Xellos thought. I really shouldn't be fairing so well against a Dark Lord. Is the Lord of Nightmares sapping her strength? That would make sense, I suppose... Or, perhaps she is granting me more power?
The two monsters stopped in middar to comply an unspoken, yet understood, mutual desire for a moment's rest.
"Why don't you give up, Deep Sea?" Xellos offered. "If you simply halt your attack on the Lord of Nightmares' chosen, I'm sure that she would be willing to reconsider my orders to take your life."
Deep Sea's only response was a low growl. A blue, flashing ball of energy appeared in her hand and grew to the size of a watermelon. She cackled madly before muttering something beneath her breath and attacked.
Xellos called up a shield that would hopefully nullify the spell. He readied his counter attack, but the black energy dissolved back into his body as Dolphin's attack flew straight past him.
And Xellos turned his head to see Dolphin's true target.
===============================================================
Gourry, who was supposedly, out of the entire group, the most in tune with his animalistic instincts, was the first to notice the blue, glowing orb shooting straight at them.
While known for not being the brightest man on Earth; quick to forget what he deemed useless information--which was why he struggled so with the more complex of situations--, Gourry Gabriev was far from stupid. In fact, he could be dubbed the very genious of swordsmanship. Every stance was etched into memory; every teaching ever taught about swords was constantly within reach of his inquiring mind, as a potential hazard could--and very well, would--make itself known before his small, simple lifestyle.
Within moments he was standing, sword drawn, protectively over the still not completely recovered Lina Inverse.
Also an unrealized (even by himself) master of applied physics, Gourry knew, beyond a doubt, that, even with the shield that Zelgadiss would cast in a few moments, any sword, save, perhaps, the sword of light he no longer had, would be able to stand a chance against that ball of energy. The sword he held now might as well be a sword of air, because it would surely mimic the colorless, odorless gas as the blast cut through it. But there was no time to run.
And, yet, still he'd reached for that sword at the first thought of danger, as it was a thing of security, but now, a thing of futility. As long as Lina was unable to protect herself, his very existance in the path of her destruction would prevent that destruction a moment more, even though his body would momentarily follow suit with his sword of air.
Zelgadiss, who held the instinct of a warrior, as opposed to the slightly more valuable animal instinct, recognized attack a fraction of a second after Gourry. However, instead of drawing his sword by reflex, by reflex he analyzed the attack, and, finding it to be magic, cast his own spell to block--though, realizing a moment later that it would be in vain, as all his previous barriers had collapsed as if they hadn't been there in the first place.
However, the mere thought of the unconscious girl behind him, who had called upon everything she held within to save her friend, rooted his feet in place and caused him to extend the shield around the other two figures, reinforcing it, as Amelia had inspired, with the very light of his soul, closing his eyes so nothing visual could break his concentration.
And then it struck.
To his credit, the shield held for a full second before the spell plowed through.
A second, that, if had not been provided, would have cost four lives, as well as the fifth that suddenly appeared in the attack's tragectory.
But that second HAD been provided, and, in that second, Xellos managed to teleport into the path of that spell, and put up his own barrier, saving all of their lives.
Gourry stared, frozen, at the sword he held--everything within an inch of his fingers had disintegrated; only the hilt remained.
And, Xellos, even with his full power, could barely maintain the barrier against the assault.
Grunting with exertion, he had to force the words from his mouth.
"Gourry--Zelgadiss...! Get--the girls--a safe--distance--away...! Zelgadiss...! Finish healing--Lina...!!!"
Too deep in shock to do otherwise, the two swordsmen did as they were told, and nearly too late, because immediately after they moved, Dolphin attacked again and Xellos was pushed back by the sheer force of it, even as his barrier held. A low growl rose in his throat as he dug his feet into the ground and leaned forward, successfully slowing to a stop.
As Zelgadiss rose holding the unconscious Amelia in his arms, Gourry carefully picked up Lina, and, noticing her lips moving in a chant, pressed her face against his chest to keep her from speaking.
"You don't have the strength for that right now, Lina!" he exclaimed as he joined Zelgadiss on the sprint to safety. And, yet, still she struggled in his arms, screaming against his armour. Probably calling him a jellyfish- brain again, he supposed.
Choosing an area behind a group of boulders, they wasted absolutely no time in following Xellos' orders. As Zelgadiss healed Lina, grunting in pain as the white magic tore at his very mind, Gourry kept an eye on the battle, wondering why Xellos chose to expend so much energy on the barrier, then, almost immediately after, realized that the Dolphin Lady's attack looked almost as powerful as a Dragon Slave, and would probably destroy everything within a mile or so, including them, and Xellos was trying to protect them from any danger.
Suddenly, Gourry heard a spell being cast and Zelgadiss shouting out in surprise before he was bowled over when a unidentified force pushed him aside.
Standing up and turning around, Gourry saw an unconscious and slightly charred Zelgadiss laying on the ground near an equally unconscious Amelia.
He turned back to the battle and ran after the newly recovered Lina Inverse, muttering something underneath his breath about suicidal carzy girls with no common sense and what on Earth had possessed him to become her guardian in the first place.
Upon arriving at the site of battle, Lina cast a few fireballs at Deep Sea to take her attention away from Xellos. Succeeding, she followed up with a volley of Almekia Lances and the occassional Ra Tilt.
Xellos, seeing that he wasn't needed at the moment, dropped his barrier, managing to stand for a moment more before collapsing.
Gourry, who managed to catch him before he hit the ground, gently laid him down and was immediately startled by the following two things:
1. Xellos' eyes were slightly open as opposed to his usual closed-eye grin. And, not only that, but they didn't seem to focus on anything in particular, and,
2. There was a dagger buried in his abdomen, and it seemed to be...eating the black stuff.
Hand flying to remove the blade, Gourry was surprised when Xellos' hand rose and stopped him.
"...No...Gourry..." he mumbled. "...If you...do that...I'll...I'll die...for sure..."
Dolphin, already worn out from fighting Xellos, Gourry, and Zelgadiss, finally made a mistake. She underestimated the power of Lina Inverse, especially when she was pissed off.
Purposefully leading the fight away from the others, Lina checked the distance from Gourry and Xellos before casting an amplified Dragon Slave, and immediately after, another Ra Tilt. The combination seriously drained the Dark Lord's strength and she collapsed to the ground with a gasp.
Lina was about to deliver the finishing blow, but then she heard a cry so fearful, so helpless, that it immediately sent her running.
"LINA! XELLOS IS HURT REALLY BAD!"
To Lina, it seemed like hours before she finally fell to her knees beside Xellos.
His head turned slightly in her direction and Xellos smiled an ironic little smile as a thin line of condensed monster essense drained from his mouth, mimicking the blood of mortals.
"...She...did this when...I turned my head...to see...why see...missed me..."
"A holy dagger," Lina gasped, recognizing the hilt from one of her sister's books.
"...Yes..." he replied, and, for a moment, Xellos managed to meet her gaze as an understandment passed between them.
Lina turned her head to see the injured, weakened Deep Sea Dolphin slowly rise to her feet.
"...The...Lord of...Nightmares' been...sapping her...strength...Lina...that's why...you've been able...to beat her...so far...I think...a Ragna Blade...would certainly...be fitting..."
And, with that, Xellos' eyes drifted closed and his head fell limp to the side.
"XELLOS?" Gourry exclaimed. "XELLOS?!"
Lina placed a hand on his shoulder. "He's alive--he'll be alive for as long as his body remains here. We won't be able to do anything if he weakens so much that he returns to the astral plane. He's alive, for now, but he doesn't have much time. But only someone able to cast holy spells will be able to save him now."
Relieved, Gourry released a great sigh...only to choke on it when he realized that Lina was racing toward the Dolphin Lady again, Ragna Blade in hand.
Funny--he hadn't heard her chant the spell...
Dolphin made no move as the screaming Lina Inverse charged against her, but when the power of the Lord of Nightmares pierced her body, she collapsed against Lina's petite form and simply whispered the words that she'd been chanting for nearly a day straight:
"The end of the world is coming."
And then the world ended for Deep Sea.
Author's Notes:
1. It wasn't until I typed this out that I realized how similar it was to the prologue of "The Lovely Loveless Marriage". That's really weird-- almost like I wrote a parody of this fic even before I started writing this fic (which is exactly what happened, I suppose...)
2. It's also strange that my fics always seem to begin with Xellos (and 2/3s of the time, Xellos talking to Zelas). I just realized that. o.O I wonder why that is? n_n
3. I'd have to say that my favorite part of this fic is the character analysis' going on. While this one focused on Zelas, Xellos, Gourry, and Zelgadiss, the next chapter will explore Lina, Amelia, Filia (who WILL show up! n_~), and a surprise character at the end!
4. Just to remind everyone: the pairings are X/F, L/G, and A/Z. While it may SEEM that Lina and Xellos have something going on, here (cough), I can assure you, the most definitely do NOT. (I don't want you guys to embarrass yourselves. n_~)
5. Oh, and about the titles. As you can see, they're humorous while the rest of the fic is mainly not very funny at all. I only called it Slayers: FOAM because my sister commented that it sounded like a soap opera. You guys can try to form 'FOAM' into an acrostic if you want--in fact, maybe I'll turn it into a contest. n_n
UPDATE: Darn it all! I typed in 'hold dagger' instead of '_holy_ dagger'!!! #$^@%@&!!! Sorry for the confusion....
by
Nin Tendo
Chapter 1 ~ In Which the Mysterious Hero is Saved by the Damsel in Distress
~ Disclaimer ~ I really do not have the creative genious to come up with something like Slayers...(smile)
Author's Forward: YES, this IS the Slayers fic you've all been waiting for! (Nin's nose extends dramatically, branching off and poking out Jillas and Gravos' remaining eyes) Umm...whoops. YOU GUYS DIDN'T SEE THAT!!! (Of course, since they're both blind now, they COULDN'T see that...*silence*...*cough*)
Um, well, moving on...
THE WARNINGS
1. This Slayers fic has the potential to become a soap opera (hense, the title), so you may or my not enjoy the upcoming fic. (Though, it's not a satire or parody, so don't expect TOO many laughs. It's more of an angsty drama than anything else)
2. This Slayers fic will support the traditional pairing and ONLY the traditional pairings. According to the authoress, Xelfi (aka X/F) is a traditional pairing. Beware of mindless fluff scenes. Beware of anti- character-bashing. Beware of the corpses of character-bashers littering the review box. (cough)
3. This Slayers fic is mainly a Xellos introspective (among other characters). In other words, the authoress thought up an intricate little series of events that shamelessly provide excuses for Xellos' actions throughout his lifetime. Yes, you may actually be INTRIGED by the authoress' unique (?) ideas, but that is what it all boils down to. Seriously. Nothing new here.
4. The authoress apologizes in advance for any and all action scenes. They were never her forte, and shall never be. It doesn't really help that there are a bagillion spells to choose from, either. She might even make up a few. Who knows? Sudden inspiration may jump forth and rob her of sanity. Again.
5. Gourry will be the first person to unravel the mysterious schemes surrounding the universe. He will promptly forget to tell everyone else, and store the information deep inside his subconscious mind, thinking that everybody else had already figured it out. He will eventually remember it again...however, it will be TOO LATE (evil, gutteral laughter).
6. Dub language alert! (For the poor, poor newbies. n_n) Also note that I don't have a working spellchecker--please report any typos or misspellings. n_n And no Japanese. (How in tarnation do you spell 'Seyruun', anyhow?)
7. The authoress apologizes for rambling--it's what she does. If you're still there: ENJOY THE FIC! n.n
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"Something catastrophic is about to occur," Xellos finally answered after a long moment of silence.
Greater Beast Zelas Metallium peered down from her throne, looking at her priest with a startled gaze, for the cheerful expression that normally adorned his face was wearing thin.
"The Lord of Nightmares has spoken," Xellos continued. "There is no way to prevent this conflict from breaking loose. It is much too late to take the necessary precautions now."
Xellos was an extremely unique monster, Zelas reflected. Due to his...unique creation, not only was he the most powerful lesser-demon, but he had also aquired what could be called a gift of prophecy--he could commune with the Lord of Nightmares herself. Such a useful trait was one of the reasons that had convinced her that he was the only servant that she would ever need.
The downside, of course, was that the Lord of Nightmares did not permit Xellos to tell her all the details--only what she willed him to speak.
Such a powerful servant. Were he anyone but himself, she would question his loyalty. However, Xellos was Xellos, the same monster who had proved him loyalty so completely and thoroughly, and so soon after his very creation, too. He continued to prove his allegeance even now, as each second passed without a move against her.
For, in her current position, Xellos could most easily dispose of his master, yet he chose not to.
As was the custom, Zelas inquired, "Will my health be threatened by this upcoming danger?"
Every other time she had asked this question out of self-preservation, Xellos had most easily answered "No" or "Not any more than anyone else's", but, on this day, Xellos had no other reply than a troubled expression.
"I see," Zelas replied.
"I fear that I will be unable to protect you this time," her priest said in shame.
Zelas graced him with a chuckle. "Don't concern yourself about me, Xellos. You've spent the last thousand years ensuring my safety. I assure you, your service has been very much appreciated. Even if I shall not survive this conflict, you must remember that you have extended my life by a full millenium. I thank you for that."
Xellos stepped forward, knelt, and rested his head on her lap. "I wanted to grant your freedom from this prison," he whispered.
"Even by trying your hardest for another thousand years, you would not have succeeded," Zelas, replied, running her fingers though his hair. "Death may be my only escape..."
They remained that way for well over an hour, whispering unfinished dreams of the future, reveling in the illusion of each other's breathing. They took in all the little details, commiting them to memory, knowing deep in their hearts that this could very well be the last time that they would see each other alive and well. It is in this way that they gave their final farewells.
Finally, Xellos raised his head from her lap and announced, "It is beginning."
"Go, my son," Zelas replied, "and do what must be done."
Xellos pressed his lips against her cheek, then replied, "Good luck, Mother. You will be free at any rate."
When he transported away, Zelas tracked him, finding him to appear among Lina Inverse's group.
She raised her hand to her face to touch the place where Xellos had kissed her. She growled at the sound of metal against metal.
The shackles, which she had managed to disguise as bangles, had been in place for nearly a millenium, sealing her and her influence from the rest of the world.
Surely their enchantment was wearing thin by now, especially since their creator had been killed over a year ago.
Zelas Metallium tranformed into her monster form, howling at the darkening sky outside the window as she called forth all her remaining power, pulling against the enchantment, gnawing against her bonds.
For over a thousand years, Xellos had managed to keep her weakness a secret, eliminating any and all unfortunate souls unlucky enough to discover the information, preventing any conflict from ever reaching Wolf Pack Island, their home. He had spent a thousand years gathering power to set her free.
If she survived long enough to break the chains, his goals would be accomplished.
And, if she managed to survive past that, she would still have a millenium's worth of debts to repay him.
===============================================================
The attack had been unexpected and utterly devastating.
The infamous bandit-killer, Lina Inverse, and her guardian, Gourry Gabriev, currently on a quest to find a much better sword to replace his current one, had once again intercepted the justice-loving Amelia Wil Telsa Seyruun and the angst-driven Zelgadiss Greywords, meeting the former on her return to Seyruun after yet another diplomatic mission to a foriegn kingdom, and the latter just in time to prove yet another wild goose chase of a cure wrong.
And, in the midst of reunion, the ambush clearly carried the element of surprise.
Their attacker was female, short, and beautiful, but extremely deadly and dangerous, as they soon found out. The slitted blue eyes were what identified her as something other than a human being.
Obviously a high-ranking monster, the blue-haired young woman sent them all flying with her first attack, and the second was only partially deflected by a hastily cast barrier.
The monster was grinning madly, and, when she wasn't laughing maniacally, she mumbled something beneath her breath, over and over again.
In a great deal of pain, the Slayers slowly stood up. Noticing that their attacker seemed content to merely look at them and giggle, they put together a last second plan.
Knowing that physical attacks were of no use against monsters, Lina explained to Gourry that he would be the diversion. When the monster was least expecting, he would get out of the way and the other three would nail her with a combined astral attack.
However, the plan was foiled before it even began, as the monster recognized Lina as the team leader and decided that it would be wise to take her out first.
The devastating blow hit Lina front and center, sending her flying backwards into the rocky mountainside. The pain was so intense that she found herself unable to even scream as her back was torn apart by the jagged rocks, and she fell to the earth in silent unconsciousness, her blood soaking the dry soil.
The others succumbed to shock for an unmeasurable moment, but then all three were shouting her name in horror. Amelia raced toward Lina's fallen form, and the two swordsmen turned to attack the one responsible.
Scraping her knees when she fell to the ground beside her best friend, Amelia forced herself to ignore the rapidly growing pool of blood and focused her very being on casting Resurrection. Lina was in critical condition--if she didn't hurry, she would die.
Forgetting completely that his sword wouldn't harm the monster in the least bit, Gourry lost himself in the motions of the blade. Each blow was firm and fast, and each strike would have undoubtedly killed any mortal being. However, being a monster, Gourry's quarry was able to dodge the lightning quick strikes and the few that actually managed to connect failed to do much damage.
Zelgadiss, who had been able to calmly assess the situation before attacking blindly, cast a protective Ray Wing spell around himself and Gourry, managing to connect a few Almekia Lances as the monster was unable to dodge both him an Gourry at the same time.
But it didn't take long for Zelgadiss to realize that his astral attacks weren't working. He tried a Ra Tilt--to no avail.
Aknowledging that Lina was probably the only one with a chance at winning against this opponent, Zelgadiss put all his strength into maintaining his Ray Wing.
Quickly boring of playing dodge, the monster turned on the offensive, surprising Zelgadiss with her sheer strength. The Ray Wing collapsed similar to a bubble popping and the two were tossed backwards, landing just ahead of Amelia and Lina, who seemed to be slowly recovering. The impact seemed to knock Gourry back to his senses.
The swordsmen groaned as they rose to their feet, not about to back down just yet. They glared at the approaching monster even as fear seized their hearts. They would protect these two girls even if it meant their own lives--and, seeing as how things were going so far, Zelgadiss thought, it probably would.
Gourry swallowed heavily. "Zelgadiss," he mumbled, "get the girls out of here while I keep her busy."
"Are you crazy, Gourry?!" Zelgadiss hissed back. "Even if I could manage to Ray Wing both the girls to safety without aggravating Lina's injuries or distracting Amelia, you wouldn't be able to hold her off long enough for me to even make it into the air!"
Gourry bit his lip, for the first time, seriously considering if any of them would make it out of this alive.
"I don't have any other ideas, Zelgadiss."
Taking a deep breath, Zelgadiss replied, "I think the only option we have left is to somehow stall until Lina wakes up, and I'm not exactly confident in our ability to do even that." He drew his sword, casting Astral Vine.
They looked at each other with a sort of mutual understanding.
Yes, they were willing to lay down their lives if it meant that the girls behind them would breathe a moment more.
But they didn't get the chance to show their unwavering loyalty and bravery at that point, since another form phased into existance beside them, black, priestly robes and purple hair billowing in the wind, and a familiar closed- eye grin shining in the afternoon sun.
Well, it was definitely not Prince Charming.
"XELLOS?!" Gourry and Zelgadiss exclaimed, recognizing him instantly, and instantly wondering what had happened to his policy of 'appearing when they didn't need him and disappearing when they needed him the most'.
"Why, hello my friends!" Xellos greeted, diirecting a cheesy smile towards them for maximum effect. "You certainly have a bizarre ability to attract Dark Lords, don't you?"
"D-D-D-Dark Lords?" Gourry stuttered. He might be a little dim now and then, but after all the adventures with Lina, he understood beyond a doubt that: Dark Lord - Lina = Certain Doom.
Zelgadiss blinked, but was hardly surprised, considering that he traveled with THIS group.
The Dark Lord standing before them noticed the newcomer, paused, then growled.
Xellos stepped forward, giving his full attention to the angry woman. The grin snapped off his face like a relaxing elastic band and he entered a ready stance. Opening his eyes as if unveiling a threat, he said, "Well, Deep Sea Dolphin, it's been a long time since I've seen your face. Tell me, are the rumors concerning your sanity true? Because, attacking Lina Inverse, especially when she is needed the most, proves it beyond a doubt."
Deep Sea snarled at the priest, releasing her full power to form a dark aura around her body.
Xellos followed suit, shouting, "By the will of the Lord of Nightmares, I swear that this blasphemy will not go unpunished!"
A ball of black energy gathered around the gem on his staff and Xellos continued:
"And, by my own will, I swear that any who dares to harm Lina Inverse will not live to see sunset!"
And with that, the first shots were fired and the battle began, much too fast for the human eye to follow, as Xellos and the Dark Lord teleported back and forth between this world and the astral plane, decimating entire mountains and forests in their wake.
Gourry and Zelgadiss had taken the extra time to drop to their knees and recover some of their lost strength.
"Is it just me," Gourry asked, "or did Xellos get more powerful since we've saw him last?"
Zelgadiss shook his head. "I'd wager that this is actually the first time we've seen him use his full power. Although, it is a little strange that he can keep up with a Dark Lord." He closed his eyes, concentrating on healing himself.
Gourry nodded, and another thought occured to him. "Hey, Zelgadiss?"
Zelgadiss sighed as his concentration broke. "What is it, Gourry?" He winced as another mountain was flattened.
"I know that we didn't really catch everything that Xellos said, since we were both trying to catch our breath, but, since when does he fight in the name of this 'Lord of Nightmares' guy, and why is he so pissed off about Lina getting hurt? I thought he LIKED it when people got hurt!"
If Zelgadiss had been drinking a beverage, he would have choked on it. "You're right, Gourry!" he exclaimed.
But Gourry wasn't listening, because he had rushed over to Lina's side after accidently reminding himself that she was hurt.
Zelgadiss sweatdropped, then sighed and made his way over there as well, also concerned about Lina's condition.
What he found was a nearly unconscious Amelia, due to all the energy she'd spent trying to save her best friend. Helping her into a sitting position, Zelgadiss asked, "How is she?"
"Mr. Zelgadiss...?" she murmered, half hearing the question. If it wasn't for his hands on her shoulders, she would have fallen over. "I saw her chest move... Did I do alright, Mr. Zelgadiss...?"
He looked over at Gourry, who was checking for a pulse. When the blonde swordsman sighed in relief, Zelgadiss turned back to her and said, "You did just fine, Amelia." A small smile crept across his face as she fell into unconsciousness.
Zelgadiss gently laid her down on the ground and, almost as an afterthought, tucked an errant strand of hair behind her ear. Another forest caught fire behind them.
Satisfied with Lina's health, Gourry took hold of the petite girl's shoulders and gently shook her awake as he murmered beneath his breath, "Come on, Lina. Wake up. I need you to wake up so you can tell me what I should do!" The Lord of Nightmares knew that Gourry had no idea what to do now. Lina would be able to help him, wouldn't she?
Lina groaned, then opened her eyes to see Gourry's face hovering just a tad too close for comfort. She blushed a brilliant red akin to her hair and eyes, and roughly pushed him away.
Landing tush-first in the dirt, Gourry didn't hesitate a moment before blurting out, "Lina, the Dark Lord hurt you but Amelia saved you and now she's sleeping but when me and Zel attacked the Dark Lord we didn't hurt her at all and then Xellos came shouting something about 'black is perty' and saved us and he's fighting her right now but the last time Xellos fought a dark lord he got beat up bad and I think he might need some help! Whatarewegoingtodo?!"
If Lina didn't have a headache before, she definitely did now. Trying her best to concentrate on his words, she rubbed her forehead and asked for clarification. "So, that monster is a Dark Lord and Xellos is fighting her?" A mountain behind her was reduced to rubble
"Yes," Zelgadiss said, before Gourry could confuse her even more. "But the strange thing is, when Xellos attacked Deep Sea Dolphin, he claimed to be carrying out the wishes of the Lord of Nightmares!"
Lina's eyes widened and she exclaimed, "WHAAAAAT?"
"And he go really mad at the Dolphin Lady for hurting you," Gourry added. "He said that you were needed--whatever that means."
Head reeling with all the new info, Lina fought to make sense of it all. "So," she finally said, "you're saying that, if what Xellos said is true, that the Lord of Nightmares needs me for something and Deep Sea Dolphin's attack on us went against her plans, so she sent Xellos here to dispose of her?"
Gourry just stared, blankly, unable to absorb any new data at this point, but Zelgadiss replied, "It seems so."
Lina pressed her hands to her temples, groaned, and muttered, "Oh, Lord of Nightmares! Why can't you choose someone else to do the dirty work once in a while! Can't I have a few days off?!"
===============================================================
Meanwhile, Xellos and Deep Sea had only managed to inflict minor wounds, despite the untold amount of landscape damage.
Funny, Xellos thought. I really shouldn't be fairing so well against a Dark Lord. Is the Lord of Nightmares sapping her strength? That would make sense, I suppose... Or, perhaps she is granting me more power?
The two monsters stopped in middar to comply an unspoken, yet understood, mutual desire for a moment's rest.
"Why don't you give up, Deep Sea?" Xellos offered. "If you simply halt your attack on the Lord of Nightmares' chosen, I'm sure that she would be willing to reconsider my orders to take your life."
Deep Sea's only response was a low growl. A blue, flashing ball of energy appeared in her hand and grew to the size of a watermelon. She cackled madly before muttering something beneath her breath and attacked.
Xellos called up a shield that would hopefully nullify the spell. He readied his counter attack, but the black energy dissolved back into his body as Dolphin's attack flew straight past him.
And Xellos turned his head to see Dolphin's true target.
===============================================================
Gourry, who was supposedly, out of the entire group, the most in tune with his animalistic instincts, was the first to notice the blue, glowing orb shooting straight at them.
While known for not being the brightest man on Earth; quick to forget what he deemed useless information--which was why he struggled so with the more complex of situations--, Gourry Gabriev was far from stupid. In fact, he could be dubbed the very genious of swordsmanship. Every stance was etched into memory; every teaching ever taught about swords was constantly within reach of his inquiring mind, as a potential hazard could--and very well, would--make itself known before his small, simple lifestyle.
Within moments he was standing, sword drawn, protectively over the still not completely recovered Lina Inverse.
Also an unrealized (even by himself) master of applied physics, Gourry knew, beyond a doubt, that, even with the shield that Zelgadiss would cast in a few moments, any sword, save, perhaps, the sword of light he no longer had, would be able to stand a chance against that ball of energy. The sword he held now might as well be a sword of air, because it would surely mimic the colorless, odorless gas as the blast cut through it. But there was no time to run.
And, yet, still he'd reached for that sword at the first thought of danger, as it was a thing of security, but now, a thing of futility. As long as Lina was unable to protect herself, his very existance in the path of her destruction would prevent that destruction a moment more, even though his body would momentarily follow suit with his sword of air.
Zelgadiss, who held the instinct of a warrior, as opposed to the slightly more valuable animal instinct, recognized attack a fraction of a second after Gourry. However, instead of drawing his sword by reflex, by reflex he analyzed the attack, and, finding it to be magic, cast his own spell to block--though, realizing a moment later that it would be in vain, as all his previous barriers had collapsed as if they hadn't been there in the first place.
However, the mere thought of the unconscious girl behind him, who had called upon everything she held within to save her friend, rooted his feet in place and caused him to extend the shield around the other two figures, reinforcing it, as Amelia had inspired, with the very light of his soul, closing his eyes so nothing visual could break his concentration.
And then it struck.
To his credit, the shield held for a full second before the spell plowed through.
A second, that, if had not been provided, would have cost four lives, as well as the fifth that suddenly appeared in the attack's tragectory.
But that second HAD been provided, and, in that second, Xellos managed to teleport into the path of that spell, and put up his own barrier, saving all of their lives.
Gourry stared, frozen, at the sword he held--everything within an inch of his fingers had disintegrated; only the hilt remained.
And, Xellos, even with his full power, could barely maintain the barrier against the assault.
Grunting with exertion, he had to force the words from his mouth.
"Gourry--Zelgadiss...! Get--the girls--a safe--distance--away...! Zelgadiss...! Finish healing--Lina...!!!"
Too deep in shock to do otherwise, the two swordsmen did as they were told, and nearly too late, because immediately after they moved, Dolphin attacked again and Xellos was pushed back by the sheer force of it, even as his barrier held. A low growl rose in his throat as he dug his feet into the ground and leaned forward, successfully slowing to a stop.
As Zelgadiss rose holding the unconscious Amelia in his arms, Gourry carefully picked up Lina, and, noticing her lips moving in a chant, pressed her face against his chest to keep her from speaking.
"You don't have the strength for that right now, Lina!" he exclaimed as he joined Zelgadiss on the sprint to safety. And, yet, still she struggled in his arms, screaming against his armour. Probably calling him a jellyfish- brain again, he supposed.
Choosing an area behind a group of boulders, they wasted absolutely no time in following Xellos' orders. As Zelgadiss healed Lina, grunting in pain as the white magic tore at his very mind, Gourry kept an eye on the battle, wondering why Xellos chose to expend so much energy on the barrier, then, almost immediately after, realized that the Dolphin Lady's attack looked almost as powerful as a Dragon Slave, and would probably destroy everything within a mile or so, including them, and Xellos was trying to protect them from any danger.
Suddenly, Gourry heard a spell being cast and Zelgadiss shouting out in surprise before he was bowled over when a unidentified force pushed him aside.
Standing up and turning around, Gourry saw an unconscious and slightly charred Zelgadiss laying on the ground near an equally unconscious Amelia.
He turned back to the battle and ran after the newly recovered Lina Inverse, muttering something underneath his breath about suicidal carzy girls with no common sense and what on Earth had possessed him to become her guardian in the first place.
Upon arriving at the site of battle, Lina cast a few fireballs at Deep Sea to take her attention away from Xellos. Succeeding, she followed up with a volley of Almekia Lances and the occassional Ra Tilt.
Xellos, seeing that he wasn't needed at the moment, dropped his barrier, managing to stand for a moment more before collapsing.
Gourry, who managed to catch him before he hit the ground, gently laid him down and was immediately startled by the following two things:
1. Xellos' eyes were slightly open as opposed to his usual closed-eye grin. And, not only that, but they didn't seem to focus on anything in particular, and,
2. There was a dagger buried in his abdomen, and it seemed to be...eating the black stuff.
Hand flying to remove the blade, Gourry was surprised when Xellos' hand rose and stopped him.
"...No...Gourry..." he mumbled. "...If you...do that...I'll...I'll die...for sure..."
Dolphin, already worn out from fighting Xellos, Gourry, and Zelgadiss, finally made a mistake. She underestimated the power of Lina Inverse, especially when she was pissed off.
Purposefully leading the fight away from the others, Lina checked the distance from Gourry and Xellos before casting an amplified Dragon Slave, and immediately after, another Ra Tilt. The combination seriously drained the Dark Lord's strength and she collapsed to the ground with a gasp.
Lina was about to deliver the finishing blow, but then she heard a cry so fearful, so helpless, that it immediately sent her running.
"LINA! XELLOS IS HURT REALLY BAD!"
To Lina, it seemed like hours before she finally fell to her knees beside Xellos.
His head turned slightly in her direction and Xellos smiled an ironic little smile as a thin line of condensed monster essense drained from his mouth, mimicking the blood of mortals.
"...She...did this when...I turned my head...to see...why see...missed me..."
"A holy dagger," Lina gasped, recognizing the hilt from one of her sister's books.
"...Yes..." he replied, and, for a moment, Xellos managed to meet her gaze as an understandment passed between them.
Lina turned her head to see the injured, weakened Deep Sea Dolphin slowly rise to her feet.
"...The...Lord of...Nightmares' been...sapping her...strength...Lina...that's why...you've been able...to beat her...so far...I think...a Ragna Blade...would certainly...be fitting..."
And, with that, Xellos' eyes drifted closed and his head fell limp to the side.
"XELLOS?" Gourry exclaimed. "XELLOS?!"
Lina placed a hand on his shoulder. "He's alive--he'll be alive for as long as his body remains here. We won't be able to do anything if he weakens so much that he returns to the astral plane. He's alive, for now, but he doesn't have much time. But only someone able to cast holy spells will be able to save him now."
Relieved, Gourry released a great sigh...only to choke on it when he realized that Lina was racing toward the Dolphin Lady again, Ragna Blade in hand.
Funny--he hadn't heard her chant the spell...
Dolphin made no move as the screaming Lina Inverse charged against her, but when the power of the Lord of Nightmares pierced her body, she collapsed against Lina's petite form and simply whispered the words that she'd been chanting for nearly a day straight:
"The end of the world is coming."
And then the world ended for Deep Sea.
Author's Notes:
1. It wasn't until I typed this out that I realized how similar it was to the prologue of "The Lovely Loveless Marriage". That's really weird-- almost like I wrote a parody of this fic even before I started writing this fic (which is exactly what happened, I suppose...)
2. It's also strange that my fics always seem to begin with Xellos (and 2/3s of the time, Xellos talking to Zelas). I just realized that. o.O I wonder why that is? n_n
3. I'd have to say that my favorite part of this fic is the character analysis' going on. While this one focused on Zelas, Xellos, Gourry, and Zelgadiss, the next chapter will explore Lina, Amelia, Filia (who WILL show up! n_~), and a surprise character at the end!
4. Just to remind everyone: the pairings are X/F, L/G, and A/Z. While it may SEEM that Lina and Xellos have something going on, here (cough), I can assure you, the most definitely do NOT. (I don't want you guys to embarrass yourselves. n_~)
5. Oh, and about the titles. As you can see, they're humorous while the rest of the fic is mainly not very funny at all. I only called it Slayers: FOAM because my sister commented that it sounded like a soap opera. You guys can try to form 'FOAM' into an acrostic if you want--in fact, maybe I'll turn it into a contest. n_n
UPDATE: Darn it all! I typed in 'hold dagger' instead of '_holy_ dagger'!!! #$^@%@&!!! Sorry for the confusion....
