Chapter Two
Downstairs, in the work room of the pottery shop:
Xelloss and Filia, still not fully-clothed, are standing in the middle of a pentagram drawn on the floor with chalk. The work room had been selected because it was large and had a big, open space. The couple stands in the middle of the symbol, holding hands.
"Are you sure this will work?" Filia breathes.
"Sure I'm sure...Well at least I think I'm sure I'm sure."
The Ryuzoku sweatdrops, but doesn't move from her spot.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" Xel asks his lover.
"Sure I'm sure...Well at least I think I'm sure I'm sure," Filia laughs. She turns serious again, and adds, "This is the best thing for the baby and that's all that matters."
Xel nods his head in agreement. "So are you ready?" he questions.
Filia breathes deeply a few times, then nods determinedly.
"Okay, then first we have to pick a world for our baby."
"Someplace where he or she can live happily."
"Someplace where there's no magic."
"Someplace where he or she will be safe."
"Someplace where he or she will be loved."
Grasping each other's hands tightly, the dragon and the monster let go of their magic. They feel it swirling around their bodies, feel it as if it were a wind. Filia's long hair whips around her head, and Xelloss' shoulder-length coif fans out behind him.
The pentagram begins to glow, casting a bright, gold light that can't be seen by any non-magic-using mortal. Filia gasps as she feels her light magic mingling with Xel's dark sorcery, something she never expected to happen ever. Of course, she thinks, I never expected to have a relationship with one of the monster race, not to mention being pregnant as a result.
Tendrils of black and purple entwine with those of gold and white, forming a circular wall around the two people. On the inside of the wall, a picture begins to form.
Filia's breath catches in her throat, seeing such an enchanting setting: a smooth, paved street lined with beautiful, modern houses. The style is unfamiliar to Filia and Xelloss. (Basically, it's our world)
Small children play with balls and swings in the yard. Men mow their lawns and women tend to gardens in full bloom. Teen-agers ride their bikes down the street and disappear around the corner. An older man walk his dog along the sidewalk, pausing every once in a while to let his pet sniff at some object.
"Wow, this is perfect..." Filia comments.
"No magic, no demons, no monsters or dragons," Xel observes.
"And look there. A nice young couple. Perfect parents for our baby." Filia motions to a tall man and his beautiful wife, sitting on their porch and reading the paper together.
"Perfect," Xelloss echoes. Turning to Filia, he asks, "Positive? You want to give our baby to this couple? It's not too late to turn back."
"No, I'm sure. Our child would be miserable in our world. This couple looks like they could give him or her a loving home with everything he or she could ever want." Locking eyes with Xelloss, she repeats, "I'm sure."
"Okay then, let's do it."
Without breaking their eye contact, both put their hands on Filia's abdomen, which starts to glow. Vines of purple and gold magic emerge from the spot underneath their hands and swirl together, creating a sphere of light.
The sphere floats in front of Xelloss and Filia for a moment, then dives into the picture, becoming visible only as a faint light. The light flies over to the young couple and implants itself into the woman's stomach.
As if they know what happened, the man and woman look up from their reading and grip each other's hands, faces beaming with love.
They go back to their activities and the wind in Filia's and Xel's world dies down. The light and picture fade, and the circular partition dissolves, leaving the dragon and the monster standing together in the center of a pentagram, eyes still locked together.
Finally Filia breaks the silence:
"Well...It worked..."
"Yes, it worked. Told you so!" Xel sticks out his tongue, returning to his normal childish disposition.
Filia laughs and scolds, "Who said I didn't believe you?"
"You never believe me, because you don't trust me. And I don't blame you, seeing as how I'm a big bad Mazoku who could kill you at any moment," he retorts sarcastically.
When Filia merely snickers, Xel's face softens.
"Glad to see you're not too emotional. I expected a weak dragon such as yourself to be doubled over in tears after that."
"No, I'm fine. A little sad, but..." Filia abates his troubles. "We did the right thing and now our child can live a full, happy life."
"You know we can check on him-or her-if you would like," Xel comforts. "Time travels differently in our world, so if you take a look in a few days, you'll find that couple taking care of our baby."
"I would like that. Yes, I would like to see our child growing up, just to check in every now and then, make sure it's all going well, you know?"
"I know." Xelloss pulls a mirror out of his interdimensional pocket. He hands it to the woman in front of him. "Here, whenever you want to see her-yes, it is a girl-just look into this mirror and tell it you want to see your baby. Wherever she is, whatever she's doing, you can watch her."
Filia takes the mirror and looks up at her lover with tear-filled eyes.
"Thank you, Xelloss."
"You're welcome. Now come, I think it's time for breakfast. You probably shouldn't open your pottery shop today, take some time to yourself."
He holds her close as they walk together to the kitchen, erasing the pentagram and any trace of the sorcery that just occurred as they leave.
Downstairs, in the work room of the pottery shop:
Xelloss and Filia, still not fully-clothed, are standing in the middle of a pentagram drawn on the floor with chalk. The work room had been selected because it was large and had a big, open space. The couple stands in the middle of the symbol, holding hands.
"Are you sure this will work?" Filia breathes.
"Sure I'm sure...Well at least I think I'm sure I'm sure."
The Ryuzoku sweatdrops, but doesn't move from her spot.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" Xel asks his lover.
"Sure I'm sure...Well at least I think I'm sure I'm sure," Filia laughs. She turns serious again, and adds, "This is the best thing for the baby and that's all that matters."
Xel nods his head in agreement. "So are you ready?" he questions.
Filia breathes deeply a few times, then nods determinedly.
"Okay, then first we have to pick a world for our baby."
"Someplace where he or she can live happily."
"Someplace where there's no magic."
"Someplace where he or she will be safe."
"Someplace where he or she will be loved."
Grasping each other's hands tightly, the dragon and the monster let go of their magic. They feel it swirling around their bodies, feel it as if it were a wind. Filia's long hair whips around her head, and Xelloss' shoulder-length coif fans out behind him.
The pentagram begins to glow, casting a bright, gold light that can't be seen by any non-magic-using mortal. Filia gasps as she feels her light magic mingling with Xel's dark sorcery, something she never expected to happen ever. Of course, she thinks, I never expected to have a relationship with one of the monster race, not to mention being pregnant as a result.
Tendrils of black and purple entwine with those of gold and white, forming a circular wall around the two people. On the inside of the wall, a picture begins to form.
Filia's breath catches in her throat, seeing such an enchanting setting: a smooth, paved street lined with beautiful, modern houses. The style is unfamiliar to Filia and Xelloss. (Basically, it's our world)
Small children play with balls and swings in the yard. Men mow their lawns and women tend to gardens in full bloom. Teen-agers ride their bikes down the street and disappear around the corner. An older man walk his dog along the sidewalk, pausing every once in a while to let his pet sniff at some object.
"Wow, this is perfect..." Filia comments.
"No magic, no demons, no monsters or dragons," Xel observes.
"And look there. A nice young couple. Perfect parents for our baby." Filia motions to a tall man and his beautiful wife, sitting on their porch and reading the paper together.
"Perfect," Xelloss echoes. Turning to Filia, he asks, "Positive? You want to give our baby to this couple? It's not too late to turn back."
"No, I'm sure. Our child would be miserable in our world. This couple looks like they could give him or her a loving home with everything he or she could ever want." Locking eyes with Xelloss, she repeats, "I'm sure."
"Okay then, let's do it."
Without breaking their eye contact, both put their hands on Filia's abdomen, which starts to glow. Vines of purple and gold magic emerge from the spot underneath their hands and swirl together, creating a sphere of light.
The sphere floats in front of Xelloss and Filia for a moment, then dives into the picture, becoming visible only as a faint light. The light flies over to the young couple and implants itself into the woman's stomach.
As if they know what happened, the man and woman look up from their reading and grip each other's hands, faces beaming with love.
They go back to their activities and the wind in Filia's and Xel's world dies down. The light and picture fade, and the circular partition dissolves, leaving the dragon and the monster standing together in the center of a pentagram, eyes still locked together.
Finally Filia breaks the silence:
"Well...It worked..."
"Yes, it worked. Told you so!" Xel sticks out his tongue, returning to his normal childish disposition.
Filia laughs and scolds, "Who said I didn't believe you?"
"You never believe me, because you don't trust me. And I don't blame you, seeing as how I'm a big bad Mazoku who could kill you at any moment," he retorts sarcastically.
When Filia merely snickers, Xel's face softens.
"Glad to see you're not too emotional. I expected a weak dragon such as yourself to be doubled over in tears after that."
"No, I'm fine. A little sad, but..." Filia abates his troubles. "We did the right thing and now our child can live a full, happy life."
"You know we can check on him-or her-if you would like," Xel comforts. "Time travels differently in our world, so if you take a look in a few days, you'll find that couple taking care of our baby."
"I would like that. Yes, I would like to see our child growing up, just to check in every now and then, make sure it's all going well, you know?"
"I know." Xelloss pulls a mirror out of his interdimensional pocket. He hands it to the woman in front of him. "Here, whenever you want to see her-yes, it is a girl-just look into this mirror and tell it you want to see your baby. Wherever she is, whatever she's doing, you can watch her."
Filia takes the mirror and looks up at her lover with tear-filled eyes.
"Thank you, Xelloss."
"You're welcome. Now come, I think it's time for breakfast. You probably shouldn't open your pottery shop today, take some time to yourself."
He holds her close as they walk together to the kitchen, erasing the pentagram and any trace of the sorcery that just occurred as they leave.
