Slayers: To the End...
By H. Kimiko Lai
Disclaimer...
There is a time, when one learns to grow up and let go of childish fantasies. Fortunately, it's not my time yet!!! Yeah!!! But oh well, I'll give this responsibility thing a try. I don't own Slayers... Gosh that was hard! (^.^)
Chapter 8
Purple and Gold Dreams...(Version 8.1)
Xellos looked at the girl in front of him from his position on the ground. It was very weird. That was... L-sama? But she looked very... very... young. To say the least. He was probably hallucinating. He was so tired.
She had her gold hair put up in a ponytail and was wearing a cute black dress with gold thread design of ambiguous shapes on the hem. And a gold sash around her little waist. And black shiny dress shoes with gold butterfly buckles. She was also holding a yellow helium filled balloon and was holding a lemon lollipop in the other.
"You can get up now, Xellos," she said. Such a cheerful voice. He winced slightly and stood up.
"How can I help you?" asked Xellos reverently.
"You can drop formalities, you know," said L-sama. "By the way, I'm Queen Chaos Amph, ruler of the Amphibians!"
"Wow," said Xellos, trying to act impressed but not quite succeeding. The areas around his eyes were dark and tired.
"Anyway, do you want the job?" she asked again. Her eyes shone. "Pretty please, say yes? Say you'll be my Knight of Chaos???"
"What do I have to do?" he asked. The girl smiled.
"I would say, 'Sore wa himitsu desu,'" she started. "But I'm not that mean..." Xellos grinned slightly. He started to feel better. The impudence of the girl was so amusing. After all, she looked anything but imposing. "Well, you'll get tons of new magic to play around with, and get stronger, and you can play the biggest practical joke on the world! Um... side benefits... um... well, you can choose your own uniform... what else... well,... oh, and I won't force you to kill your friends... find the love of your life,... sound good?"
"Yeah, I guess," said Xellos, a little astounded. Him, as Knight of Chaos? But, he was Zelas's General and Priest. He told the deity that.
"That doesn't matter," said the queen. "There's a clause in that contract that my wishes over ride her contract. So if you want to be my Knight, you won't have to worry about her. They never mentioned it to you, 'cause they never thought you'd be asked to join my party!"
"Oh, OK," said Xellos.
"So, what do you say?" asked the girl again.
"Um... I'm not exactly ready to answer that," said Xellos hesitantly, not really wanting to anger the chibi Lord of Nightmares.
"Oh, I understand!" she said as she nodded seriously. "Such things should not be taken lightly." Xellos raised an eyebrow at the girls attire. She blushed. "I'm going to a tea party." she said to defend herself.
"Anyway," she continued. "Here's the full contract. Have fun reading it! You'll have until tomorrow at night to read it and answer me!" A book floated into his hands. It was thick, had a gold seal and had a leather cover. It was very thick. How was he going to be able to read such a huge thing?
"If I'm still alive by then," whispered Xellos under his breath as he put his book into his cape space. The girl heard it. She had very acute hearing, you see.
"Oh, yeah," she said, as if she had forgotten it since it was so trivial and of so little importance. "You are captured. What did you do anyway?"
"Sore wa himitsu desu!" he said with a grin. He wasn't planning on telling her. Of course, she probably knew already. But that wasn't the point. It was a matter of pride and honor, even though he was a Mazoku. OK, not a whole Mazoku, but that was beside the point.
"Well," said the girl. "If you don't feel like telling me, oh well... But I'll help you anyway." With a smile, she muttered a short spell and held out her hands. A glowing bubble of energy appeared from her hands and floated softly towards Xellos. It popped on top of him and flooded him with a mirage of silvers and light blues. Xellos immediately felt refreshed. It felt as if a cool breeze had come over him and as if a waterfall of fresh spring water was bathing him. It felt, quite nice...
"Thank you," he said, after the light show was over. She smiled warmly.
"You're welcome. You'll be able to resist his attacks. Hang in there. And by the way, no talking about this to anyone, or the contract becomes null and void. Page 12, last paragraph, last sentence." she said simply before vanishing from his sight. Xellos found a note on he floor.
"You can rest here if you want. As soon as you're ready to wake up, hit the wake button to your right. Queen Chaos Amph" And sure enough, there was a orange button with a sticker saying WAKE. He looked around him. A very comfy looking chair appeared, along with a tray of snacks floating beside it. Xellos actually smiled. The Lord of Nightmares had a very good sense of humor as well as a very scary name, but she was nice also.
Xellos woke up. He felt better, which was good. He felt, almost brand new. Like as if he had taken a long rest. LoN had really done him a favor by healing him. It was better than any restore spell he had ever seen. He saw the book in his hands and hid it. He was still in his cell, though. Now, what in the world was happening? He started to think, his eyes staring off into the middle of nowhere.
[FLASHBACK]
"Xellos," said Beastmaster.
"Yes?" asked Xellos. He was slightly surprised to see her up.
"I want you to move my caskets of wine from beneath the house to bodega #328." she said. Xellos nodded.
"Anything else, Juuo-sama?" he asked.
"No, that will be all." she said.
"Pardon my question," started Xellos. "But shouldn't you be laying down and recuperating?"
"I feel better. And I don't like being cooped up." she answered. He nodded and went to work. There were many caskets of wine under her house. It was fun to move them around, but now, he was just bored and wanted the job to be over as quickly as he could. So, he rolled the barrels by, one by one, magically onto a little cart, which joined a line of carts that were being wheeled automatically by him to cellar #328. He was letting his mind wander when he felt a familiar presence. But before he could comment on it, he felt himself freeze. Xellos tried to move, but found himself bound, right before disappearing from the room.
When he woke up, he had a pounding head ache and found himself tied to a chair. A nice strong metal chair. He smiled and tried to get out by using magic. His smile faded as he heard a deep laugh and felt his magic drain from his hands. Where in the world was his staff?
"I don't think you'll be able to get loose that way," said a young man with dark black hair and silver fox-type ears. He had eyes the color of quicksilver. He was dressed in black, from head to toe, except for his silver vest and sash around his waist that held a long sword. A tail swished from behind him, also silver colored. And he held his staff in his hands. Which was weird, only he could carry it. Zelas had given it to him, and was tuned only to himself. "Sorry, Trickster Priest. The ropes and metal are anti-magic. All the magic you use will be absorbed into the ropes, and will reinforce their strength. I wouldn't struggle if I were you." Xellos looked at him.
"Good morning, what do you want?" he asked, as normally as he could and with a small smile on his face. For some reason, he found it funny and started to laugh again.
"Xellos, Xellos, Xellos," he said in an almost pitying fashion. Xellos seethed inwardly. "You are so naive, yet you are Zelas's Chief Priest and General? How hard the mighty have fallen!" Xellos refrained from saying anything biting. His eyes opened, and his slitted eyes glared at him.
"I will ask you again," he said dangerously. "What do you want with me?"
"Oh, so finally, we are getting a little serious, aren't we?" he asked, fangs gleaming from his lips. "Finally, the Priest shows his true colors." Xellos waited for an answer to his question. "Well, if you really must know, Sore wa himitsu desu!" And with that, he disappeared from sight, his laugh echoing against the stone walls of the room. And Xellos cursed and tried to think of a way to escape.
He had come back again. Said his name was Megrim Xerxes. Didn't tell him a thing though. He had never even heard of him, yet Xerxes seemed to know almost everything about him.
"So, planning on telling me now, why you have me captured and tied up?" asked Xellos. They were sitting across a table, but Xellos was still tied up.
"Probably not," said Megrim. Everything seemed to be going well, until that night...
"What do you want now?" asked Xellos, acting bored. Which he was. After all, being tied to a chair all day that was anti magic and talking to an idiot who wouldn't tell him anything was very boring. Especially, since he was used to much finer company with more interesting subjects to talk about. Mainly, Lina. That thought caused him to think a bit. Why Lina? But before he could dwell on it for long, Xerxes talked.
"The time has come," he said evilly. His silver eyes flashed, his mouth turned up into a malevolent grin. And he held his staff up, the red jewel glowing in the semi darkness of the room. "Wondering why I can use your staff, Oh mighty and all knowing Trickster Priest?" Sarcasm and ridicule dripped from his voice. Xellos hated to admit it, but he was starting to get worried. How could anyone use his staff other than himself or someone with his permission? "Go ahead, ask. I know you're dying to find out." And Xellos, who really hated to ask and look ignorant; who felt utterly humiliated, asked.
"Why? How can you?" And Xerxes laughed.
"I never thought you had it in you, Xellos." he said. "You, asking for answers? Ja! What a laugh. Like I said before, how hard the mighty have fallen." And Xellos burned with anger, his eyes growing even more slitted than usual. "If you wish to know, I am you, Xellos." And time froze.
"What?!" he said. "Impossible!" Megrim laughed. Xellos wished he could put a shut up spell on the idiot.
"Impossible you say?" asked Megrim, scorn evident in his voice. His figure changed, until he looked exactly like Xellos. "Do you know who I am? You! That's who. How else could I have known your past, your secrets, your fears, how to use your staff? And most importantly, your growing admiration of that silly human girl. What's her name? Oh yeah, Lina Inverse. The silly brat. That stupid girl with no figure? You know what she thinks about you? That you're just another thing on her list to do. She's on her way here, you know. To join you in your death. All you do is lead her into trouble, whether you mean it or not. Face it, you and her just don't go. Even if you were the human you were before." Xellos tried to plug his ears or tune out the words that came from his look alike. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't ignore them like he was used to.
"You think you care for her?" continued the clone. "You use her, just like you use your enemies. Or are you going to deny it?" Xellos squeezed his eyes shut. Each barb hit him like a punch to the gut. "You used to be the most respected Mazoku. Or should I say, half Mazoku? You were the strongest, fastest, bloodiest. Your jewel glowed with the blood of all you killed. It could light up a room with its glow, filled with all the pain and suffering you had caused for so many others. And you enjoyed the hunt, the thrill and their agony. And what do I see now? A pathetic idiot who has become too human to be any good. Who can't even escape from the ropes his little 'girlfriend' invented. You didn't know that did you? Knower of all Secrets? Yeah right! You don't realize, just how much you need me. You know why? I was part of you. I got free some time ago from you. And your strength has diminished. You aren't even a half-Mazoku any more. What are you? Almost human!" He spat out the last part as he walked closer to Xellos. With the staff, he hit him across his face. His eyes had a wild look about him. "But even though you are just a piece of trash in our plan, you still played the biggest trick on me. When I split from you, you held on to part of my power, part of my glory and strength. You! But tonight, I will get it back, even if I have to wipe out your mind for it. And you know what? Your pain and humiliation, your confusion, your hurt, is just... delicious." And with that, Megrim fused into him, and Xellos's eyes closed in pain, and screamed soundlessly in agony and despair as Megrim tried to get his power once more.
[END FLASHBACK]
Xellos shuddered. It had been years since he had felt such torment and agony. But somehow, he had survived it. He looked at the book. For some reason, he thanked the Lord of Nightmares, knowing for sure that it had been her. He started to read the contract, hoping Megrim didn't surprise him. He wasn't tied to the chair anymore, that was good. But he was in a room that had an anti magic shield around it. So, he couldn't use magic to bust the room, but he could do magic now. So he tried some spells, and found to his satisfaction, that Xerxes hadn't stolen any of his power yet. There was one good thing about the shield. He would know when Megrim entered, because the shield would change shape to allow him in. So he read the prophecy, trying to ignore the questions that had come from his encounter last night with Megrim. A few hours passed and finally, Xel looked up.
'Wonder where that brat is,' thought Xellos as he hid the contract. 'Strange, he didn't come today. But I'm glad the bastard isn't here. More time to think.' And think he did. It was time to stop hiding. He...
he... loved her. He loved Lina. How? He had no idea. Ever since they had met. She was so full of fire and confidence. Sure of who she was and what her plans were. Loyal to all her friends. And she accepted him for the Mazoku he was. She knew about him, yet trusted him still. And what had started out as admiration had grown into... what he felt now. 'OK,' he thought. 'So I know how I feel. How does Lina san feel?' And this is where he got stuck. How much of what Xerxes had said was true? And how much was said just to get a rise from him? To stop from getting a major headache, he decided to think about other things. So, Megrim had once been part of him. So, how did he get in him in the first place?
'So much thinking is making me tired,' he thought and decided to sleep for a while, so he did, after putting his contract in his cape.
When he woke up, he was startled when he saw Beastmaster in his room.
"Zelas?" he asked. "What are you doing here?"
"I'm here to clear up some confusion." she said coolly.
"Huh?" asked Xellos. His meeting with Megrim had changed him more than he was willing to admit.
"Who put you in here?" she asked, her eyes flashing fire.
"Megrim." said Xellos. He put up a mask mentally, becoming once more, the sly Xellos everyone knew him to be. This was the one most people saw him as.
"Megrim?" wondered Zelas. "Anyway, we are out of here. Come Xellos." Zelas grabbed his coat and the two were out.
A few minutes later....
"Stupid Madabar," grumbled Megrim/Xerxes. "Who does she think she is. Xellos is my prisoner, not hers. Well, better finish this before Zelas finds out. She'd have a cow if she found out what I'm doing. Not that I care, but she is so stubborn at times. Can't wait till this is over, then I'll show her who really is boss." He walked towards the cell he had locked Xellos in. He had almost gotten his power back last time. So close, but somehow, the idiot had found enough power in himself to fight back. The idiot, this time it would be worse. He smiled to himself as he walked into the room and found nobody. He froze. After quickly checking the room, he cursed loudly. Somehow, the fruitcake had escaped. Now, what was he going to tell Madabar?
In Jinnia once more...
"Excuse me, Zelas," said Xellos as he walked into the house behind Zelas. "How did you find me?" Wordlessly, she passed him a note. Xellos peered at the handwriting. It was very hard to read, it reminded him of Lina's signature on her paintings. Wait! It was Lina's handwriting! "Did Lina san write this?"
"Yes." she said. She suddenly stopped and looked at him. "I'm sorry it took so long, but it's hard to decipher Lina's handwriting. Did they do anything to you? What did this Megrim say?" Xellos sat down on a chair. He really didn't want to talk about this. So, he said the first thing that came to mind.
"Sore wa himitsu desu." he said tiredly. These past few days were finally taking their toll on him. He just wanted to sleep for some time and forget everything. Zelas sighed.
"You are an idiot, Xellos, you know?" she said. She grabbed him by the shoulder and lugged him up the stairs to his room and threw him on the bed. "We'll talk in the morning, Xellos. And it better be something other than Sore wa himitsu desu, or I'll cut your tongue off." With that, she slammed the door. Xellos smiled secretly and touched the contract still hidden on his self. But he didn't sleep yet. He still had Lina's note hidden in his pocket. Xellos got up and turned on a lamp in his room. He really liked his room. It had purple rugs, and dark blue walls, with a gold and purple border. He walked to his desk and took out the note. Lina really had messy handwriting. He spent half an hour deciphering the note. Which was weird. Zelas was smart. Why had it taken her so long to decipher it? Oh well, he read it.
To Beastmaster Zelas,
Left with Zelgadis to take care of matters. Going to check up on Xellos. Idiot called Megrim took him to your Island. Lina
'Lina sure is direct and to the point.' thought Xellos as he looked the note over. So much for so little? He looked out the window. It was getting late, so he decided to fall asleep and clear up matters with L- sama. And so, he packed all his important things up and hid them on his person, and in his rucksack. It was a special rucksack, called the Rucksack of Holding. Made by a very wise magician, eons ago, it could hold absolutely anything you wanted. The trouble was finding it when you wanted your things. He had found it on one of his quests when he was a human, if he remembered correctly. Yep, eons ago.
Xellos dreamt. And dreamt, and dreamt and dreamt, and finally, he saw a door. It was a very serious looking door. It had a silver doorknob and knocker, each in the shape of a butterfly. He tiptoed towards the door and got out a glass from his cape. He heard people inside, so he put the glass to the door and listened.
Inside...
"So, what do you want to do?"
"I don't know."
"Make up your mind. You're visitor will be here soon."
"I really hope he says yes."
"Perhaps. Would it be that bad if he said no?"
"Perhaps." giggles.
"You are impossible to talk to! Well, you're visitor is here already. Have fun. Tea tomorrow?"
"Same time and place."
"Until then. Ciao."
Xellos was surprised when a lady with elfin ears and blue hair walked through the door. She was about his height.
"Hello," she said. "Amph is waiting for you inside." She looked at him and smiled. "Good luck!" Xellos looked surprised at her. She smiled and pushed him into the room.
"Hi!" said Queen Amph. There was a table with tea things and two chairs. "Have a seat! We can have tea while we talk." Xellos nodded silently as he stared at the Queen. She had changed radically. She didn't look like a child anymore. She looked older, wiser, stricter. He sat down and took a sip of tea that she had poured for him.
"How was your day?" she asked after taking a bite out of a tea biscuit with butter and strawberry jelly.
"It was considerably better." he said. "Thank you very much for your help." She smiled.
"Oh, that was Fate," said the Queen with a smile. "Fate's quite nice when I explain things nicely to her.
"I'll thank her when I see her," said Xellos, not quite sure how he was going to find Fate.
"You might see her later. She was the lady you passed when you came in." said the girl with a smile.
"Oh..." said Xellos. He had actually seen Fate. Wow...
"So, anyway, I'm waiting for your answer," she said. "The opportunity won't come again. Speak now, or forever remain silent. Xellos thought for a while. He took out the contract and stared at it.
"Before answering, I have two questions." he said, not quite sure how the L-sama would take it.
"Ask away," she said. "It's very good to be informed when deciding something of such importance." Xellos looked at the contract as he asked.
"I need to talk to Lina." he said. "Will I be able to do as I wish and talk to her when I want to? And number two, will I still be a Mazoku?" The Lord of Nightmares smiled at that for three seconds before being serious once more. Fortunately, Xellos didn't see it. He was still looking at the contract, his hands in his lap, clenching the tablecloth.
"Sure," she said. "As long as she's still alive and you get your work done. And you're not exactly a Mazoku when you become knight. You become a chaos being, like me. You can take up any form you want though. If you want, you can still look like a Mazoku if you want. Me, I change my figure all the time." Xellos looked up. She sounded almost, happy?
"Then, I accept," he said. He opened the book to the last page. Chaos passed him a quill. Xellos looked at the blank page, having memorized what he had to write.
I, Xellos, do pledge myself to Chaos, and accept the title and rank of Chaos Knight, under the guidance of the Lord of Nightmares. Signed: Xellos, the Trickster Priest
There done, signed and finished. He looked at it. He felt as if a weight had been taken from his shoulders, and replaced with a lighter one. And he looked at the small statement with satisfaction. He had better
handwriting than Lina, that was for sure. He handed her the contract.
"Thank you Xellos," said the Queen, all smiles. "Welcome to the family of Chaos!!! Swearing in is in a few days. Anyone you'd like to invite?"
"Not really," said Xellos. "It'd be nice if Lina was there. That's about it I guess."
"Can I add more people?" asked the Queen as she flipped open a notepad and started to write on it.
"Sure, I don't really mind," he said. Queen Chaos Amph was all smiles.
"Do whatever you want until swearing in, which is in about three days! Here's your user's guide to chaos magic and yeah! That's about it! I'll visit you in your dream working out some of the smaller details. Till then!" She saluted and disappeared. She left a note on the table.
"Could you put the tea stuff away, please? There's a cupboard behind you. Thanx! As usual, press wake when you're ready. Lina left for Seerin. Good luck! Chaos Amph." And Xellos smiled. Life seemed to have improved already.
AUTHOR'S NOTES...
Wow, I finished this chapter really quickly! Yeah!!! I'm so happy! Well, how are you guys doing? Thank you for all the encouraging notes. They make my day, and inspire me to write. Thanx!!! So tell me, what did you think of the chapter? You know me, Read and Review, and Comment and Criticize. Don't worry, if you say something bad, I won't kill you. ^.^;;
And don't worry, the romance is coming soon. (Hey! It's one chapter closer!!! ^^)
Well, till next time! Keep up the great work on the reviews!!! ^.^;;
Hotaru Kimiko Lai
Quotes for the chapter...
"Life, is like a peach." QD-chan
"Joy, is like a spoon. Think about it." Sayna-chan
"Orale Che Cool!" Yanis-chan
^.^ I like my quotes!!!! Aren't QD-chan, Yanis-chan and Sayna-chan so smart?
By H. Kimiko Lai
Disclaimer...
There is a time, when one learns to grow up and let go of childish fantasies. Fortunately, it's not my time yet!!! Yeah!!! But oh well, I'll give this responsibility thing a try. I don't own Slayers... Gosh that was hard! (^.^)
Chapter 8
Purple and Gold Dreams...(Version 8.1)
Xellos looked at the girl in front of him from his position on the ground. It was very weird. That was... L-sama? But she looked very... very... young. To say the least. He was probably hallucinating. He was so tired.
She had her gold hair put up in a ponytail and was wearing a cute black dress with gold thread design of ambiguous shapes on the hem. And a gold sash around her little waist. And black shiny dress shoes with gold butterfly buckles. She was also holding a yellow helium filled balloon and was holding a lemon lollipop in the other.
"You can get up now, Xellos," she said. Such a cheerful voice. He winced slightly and stood up.
"How can I help you?" asked Xellos reverently.
"You can drop formalities, you know," said L-sama. "By the way, I'm Queen Chaos Amph, ruler of the Amphibians!"
"Wow," said Xellos, trying to act impressed but not quite succeeding. The areas around his eyes were dark and tired.
"Anyway, do you want the job?" she asked again. Her eyes shone. "Pretty please, say yes? Say you'll be my Knight of Chaos???"
"What do I have to do?" he asked. The girl smiled.
"I would say, 'Sore wa himitsu desu,'" she started. "But I'm not that mean..." Xellos grinned slightly. He started to feel better. The impudence of the girl was so amusing. After all, she looked anything but imposing. "Well, you'll get tons of new magic to play around with, and get stronger, and you can play the biggest practical joke on the world! Um... side benefits... um... well, you can choose your own uniform... what else... well,... oh, and I won't force you to kill your friends... find the love of your life,... sound good?"
"Yeah, I guess," said Xellos, a little astounded. Him, as Knight of Chaos? But, he was Zelas's General and Priest. He told the deity that.
"That doesn't matter," said the queen. "There's a clause in that contract that my wishes over ride her contract. So if you want to be my Knight, you won't have to worry about her. They never mentioned it to you, 'cause they never thought you'd be asked to join my party!"
"Oh, OK," said Xellos.
"So, what do you say?" asked the girl again.
"Um... I'm not exactly ready to answer that," said Xellos hesitantly, not really wanting to anger the chibi Lord of Nightmares.
"Oh, I understand!" she said as she nodded seriously. "Such things should not be taken lightly." Xellos raised an eyebrow at the girls attire. She blushed. "I'm going to a tea party." she said to defend herself.
"Anyway," she continued. "Here's the full contract. Have fun reading it! You'll have until tomorrow at night to read it and answer me!" A book floated into his hands. It was thick, had a gold seal and had a leather cover. It was very thick. How was he going to be able to read such a huge thing?
"If I'm still alive by then," whispered Xellos under his breath as he put his book into his cape space. The girl heard it. She had very acute hearing, you see.
"Oh, yeah," she said, as if she had forgotten it since it was so trivial and of so little importance. "You are captured. What did you do anyway?"
"Sore wa himitsu desu!" he said with a grin. He wasn't planning on telling her. Of course, she probably knew already. But that wasn't the point. It was a matter of pride and honor, even though he was a Mazoku. OK, not a whole Mazoku, but that was beside the point.
"Well," said the girl. "If you don't feel like telling me, oh well... But I'll help you anyway." With a smile, she muttered a short spell and held out her hands. A glowing bubble of energy appeared from her hands and floated softly towards Xellos. It popped on top of him and flooded him with a mirage of silvers and light blues. Xellos immediately felt refreshed. It felt as if a cool breeze had come over him and as if a waterfall of fresh spring water was bathing him. It felt, quite nice...
"Thank you," he said, after the light show was over. She smiled warmly.
"You're welcome. You'll be able to resist his attacks. Hang in there. And by the way, no talking about this to anyone, or the contract becomes null and void. Page 12, last paragraph, last sentence." she said simply before vanishing from his sight. Xellos found a note on he floor.
"You can rest here if you want. As soon as you're ready to wake up, hit the wake button to your right. Queen Chaos Amph" And sure enough, there was a orange button with a sticker saying WAKE. He looked around him. A very comfy looking chair appeared, along with a tray of snacks floating beside it. Xellos actually smiled. The Lord of Nightmares had a very good sense of humor as well as a very scary name, but she was nice also.
Xellos woke up. He felt better, which was good. He felt, almost brand new. Like as if he had taken a long rest. LoN had really done him a favor by healing him. It was better than any restore spell he had ever seen. He saw the book in his hands and hid it. He was still in his cell, though. Now, what in the world was happening? He started to think, his eyes staring off into the middle of nowhere.
[FLASHBACK]
"Xellos," said Beastmaster.
"Yes?" asked Xellos. He was slightly surprised to see her up.
"I want you to move my caskets of wine from beneath the house to bodega #328." she said. Xellos nodded.
"Anything else, Juuo-sama?" he asked.
"No, that will be all." she said.
"Pardon my question," started Xellos. "But shouldn't you be laying down and recuperating?"
"I feel better. And I don't like being cooped up." she answered. He nodded and went to work. There were many caskets of wine under her house. It was fun to move them around, but now, he was just bored and wanted the job to be over as quickly as he could. So, he rolled the barrels by, one by one, magically onto a little cart, which joined a line of carts that were being wheeled automatically by him to cellar #328. He was letting his mind wander when he felt a familiar presence. But before he could comment on it, he felt himself freeze. Xellos tried to move, but found himself bound, right before disappearing from the room.
When he woke up, he had a pounding head ache and found himself tied to a chair. A nice strong metal chair. He smiled and tried to get out by using magic. His smile faded as he heard a deep laugh and felt his magic drain from his hands. Where in the world was his staff?
"I don't think you'll be able to get loose that way," said a young man with dark black hair and silver fox-type ears. He had eyes the color of quicksilver. He was dressed in black, from head to toe, except for his silver vest and sash around his waist that held a long sword. A tail swished from behind him, also silver colored. And he held his staff in his hands. Which was weird, only he could carry it. Zelas had given it to him, and was tuned only to himself. "Sorry, Trickster Priest. The ropes and metal are anti-magic. All the magic you use will be absorbed into the ropes, and will reinforce their strength. I wouldn't struggle if I were you." Xellos looked at him.
"Good morning, what do you want?" he asked, as normally as he could and with a small smile on his face. For some reason, he found it funny and started to laugh again.
"Xellos, Xellos, Xellos," he said in an almost pitying fashion. Xellos seethed inwardly. "You are so naive, yet you are Zelas's Chief Priest and General? How hard the mighty have fallen!" Xellos refrained from saying anything biting. His eyes opened, and his slitted eyes glared at him.
"I will ask you again," he said dangerously. "What do you want with me?"
"Oh, so finally, we are getting a little serious, aren't we?" he asked, fangs gleaming from his lips. "Finally, the Priest shows his true colors." Xellos waited for an answer to his question. "Well, if you really must know, Sore wa himitsu desu!" And with that, he disappeared from sight, his laugh echoing against the stone walls of the room. And Xellos cursed and tried to think of a way to escape.
He had come back again. Said his name was Megrim Xerxes. Didn't tell him a thing though. He had never even heard of him, yet Xerxes seemed to know almost everything about him.
"So, planning on telling me now, why you have me captured and tied up?" asked Xellos. They were sitting across a table, but Xellos was still tied up.
"Probably not," said Megrim. Everything seemed to be going well, until that night...
"What do you want now?" asked Xellos, acting bored. Which he was. After all, being tied to a chair all day that was anti magic and talking to an idiot who wouldn't tell him anything was very boring. Especially, since he was used to much finer company with more interesting subjects to talk about. Mainly, Lina. That thought caused him to think a bit. Why Lina? But before he could dwell on it for long, Xerxes talked.
"The time has come," he said evilly. His silver eyes flashed, his mouth turned up into a malevolent grin. And he held his staff up, the red jewel glowing in the semi darkness of the room. "Wondering why I can use your staff, Oh mighty and all knowing Trickster Priest?" Sarcasm and ridicule dripped from his voice. Xellos hated to admit it, but he was starting to get worried. How could anyone use his staff other than himself or someone with his permission? "Go ahead, ask. I know you're dying to find out." And Xellos, who really hated to ask and look ignorant; who felt utterly humiliated, asked.
"Why? How can you?" And Xerxes laughed.
"I never thought you had it in you, Xellos." he said. "You, asking for answers? Ja! What a laugh. Like I said before, how hard the mighty have fallen." And Xellos burned with anger, his eyes growing even more slitted than usual. "If you wish to know, I am you, Xellos." And time froze.
"What?!" he said. "Impossible!" Megrim laughed. Xellos wished he could put a shut up spell on the idiot.
"Impossible you say?" asked Megrim, scorn evident in his voice. His figure changed, until he looked exactly like Xellos. "Do you know who I am? You! That's who. How else could I have known your past, your secrets, your fears, how to use your staff? And most importantly, your growing admiration of that silly human girl. What's her name? Oh yeah, Lina Inverse. The silly brat. That stupid girl with no figure? You know what she thinks about you? That you're just another thing on her list to do. She's on her way here, you know. To join you in your death. All you do is lead her into trouble, whether you mean it or not. Face it, you and her just don't go. Even if you were the human you were before." Xellos tried to plug his ears or tune out the words that came from his look alike. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't ignore them like he was used to.
"You think you care for her?" continued the clone. "You use her, just like you use your enemies. Or are you going to deny it?" Xellos squeezed his eyes shut. Each barb hit him like a punch to the gut. "You used to be the most respected Mazoku. Or should I say, half Mazoku? You were the strongest, fastest, bloodiest. Your jewel glowed with the blood of all you killed. It could light up a room with its glow, filled with all the pain and suffering you had caused for so many others. And you enjoyed the hunt, the thrill and their agony. And what do I see now? A pathetic idiot who has become too human to be any good. Who can't even escape from the ropes his little 'girlfriend' invented. You didn't know that did you? Knower of all Secrets? Yeah right! You don't realize, just how much you need me. You know why? I was part of you. I got free some time ago from you. And your strength has diminished. You aren't even a half-Mazoku any more. What are you? Almost human!" He spat out the last part as he walked closer to Xellos. With the staff, he hit him across his face. His eyes had a wild look about him. "But even though you are just a piece of trash in our plan, you still played the biggest trick on me. When I split from you, you held on to part of my power, part of my glory and strength. You! But tonight, I will get it back, even if I have to wipe out your mind for it. And you know what? Your pain and humiliation, your confusion, your hurt, is just... delicious." And with that, Megrim fused into him, and Xellos's eyes closed in pain, and screamed soundlessly in agony and despair as Megrim tried to get his power once more.
[END FLASHBACK]
Xellos shuddered. It had been years since he had felt such torment and agony. But somehow, he had survived it. He looked at the book. For some reason, he thanked the Lord of Nightmares, knowing for sure that it had been her. He started to read the contract, hoping Megrim didn't surprise him. He wasn't tied to the chair anymore, that was good. But he was in a room that had an anti magic shield around it. So, he couldn't use magic to bust the room, but he could do magic now. So he tried some spells, and found to his satisfaction, that Xerxes hadn't stolen any of his power yet. There was one good thing about the shield. He would know when Megrim entered, because the shield would change shape to allow him in. So he read the prophecy, trying to ignore the questions that had come from his encounter last night with Megrim. A few hours passed and finally, Xel looked up.
'Wonder where that brat is,' thought Xellos as he hid the contract. 'Strange, he didn't come today. But I'm glad the bastard isn't here. More time to think.' And think he did. It was time to stop hiding. He...
he... loved her. He loved Lina. How? He had no idea. Ever since they had met. She was so full of fire and confidence. Sure of who she was and what her plans were. Loyal to all her friends. And she accepted him for the Mazoku he was. She knew about him, yet trusted him still. And what had started out as admiration had grown into... what he felt now. 'OK,' he thought. 'So I know how I feel. How does Lina san feel?' And this is where he got stuck. How much of what Xerxes had said was true? And how much was said just to get a rise from him? To stop from getting a major headache, he decided to think about other things. So, Megrim had once been part of him. So, how did he get in him in the first place?
'So much thinking is making me tired,' he thought and decided to sleep for a while, so he did, after putting his contract in his cape.
When he woke up, he was startled when he saw Beastmaster in his room.
"Zelas?" he asked. "What are you doing here?"
"I'm here to clear up some confusion." she said coolly.
"Huh?" asked Xellos. His meeting with Megrim had changed him more than he was willing to admit.
"Who put you in here?" she asked, her eyes flashing fire.
"Megrim." said Xellos. He put up a mask mentally, becoming once more, the sly Xellos everyone knew him to be. This was the one most people saw him as.
"Megrim?" wondered Zelas. "Anyway, we are out of here. Come Xellos." Zelas grabbed his coat and the two were out.
A few minutes later....
"Stupid Madabar," grumbled Megrim/Xerxes. "Who does she think she is. Xellos is my prisoner, not hers. Well, better finish this before Zelas finds out. She'd have a cow if she found out what I'm doing. Not that I care, but she is so stubborn at times. Can't wait till this is over, then I'll show her who really is boss." He walked towards the cell he had locked Xellos in. He had almost gotten his power back last time. So close, but somehow, the idiot had found enough power in himself to fight back. The idiot, this time it would be worse. He smiled to himself as he walked into the room and found nobody. He froze. After quickly checking the room, he cursed loudly. Somehow, the fruitcake had escaped. Now, what was he going to tell Madabar?
In Jinnia once more...
"Excuse me, Zelas," said Xellos as he walked into the house behind Zelas. "How did you find me?" Wordlessly, she passed him a note. Xellos peered at the handwriting. It was very hard to read, it reminded him of Lina's signature on her paintings. Wait! It was Lina's handwriting! "Did Lina san write this?"
"Yes." she said. She suddenly stopped and looked at him. "I'm sorry it took so long, but it's hard to decipher Lina's handwriting. Did they do anything to you? What did this Megrim say?" Xellos sat down on a chair. He really didn't want to talk about this. So, he said the first thing that came to mind.
"Sore wa himitsu desu." he said tiredly. These past few days were finally taking their toll on him. He just wanted to sleep for some time and forget everything. Zelas sighed.
"You are an idiot, Xellos, you know?" she said. She grabbed him by the shoulder and lugged him up the stairs to his room and threw him on the bed. "We'll talk in the morning, Xellos. And it better be something other than Sore wa himitsu desu, or I'll cut your tongue off." With that, she slammed the door. Xellos smiled secretly and touched the contract still hidden on his self. But he didn't sleep yet. He still had Lina's note hidden in his pocket. Xellos got up and turned on a lamp in his room. He really liked his room. It had purple rugs, and dark blue walls, with a gold and purple border. He walked to his desk and took out the note. Lina really had messy handwriting. He spent half an hour deciphering the note. Which was weird. Zelas was smart. Why had it taken her so long to decipher it? Oh well, he read it.
To Beastmaster Zelas,
Left with Zelgadis to take care of matters. Going to check up on Xellos. Idiot called Megrim took him to your Island. Lina
'Lina sure is direct and to the point.' thought Xellos as he looked the note over. So much for so little? He looked out the window. It was getting late, so he decided to fall asleep and clear up matters with L- sama. And so, he packed all his important things up and hid them on his person, and in his rucksack. It was a special rucksack, called the Rucksack of Holding. Made by a very wise magician, eons ago, it could hold absolutely anything you wanted. The trouble was finding it when you wanted your things. He had found it on one of his quests when he was a human, if he remembered correctly. Yep, eons ago.
Xellos dreamt. And dreamt, and dreamt and dreamt, and finally, he saw a door. It was a very serious looking door. It had a silver doorknob and knocker, each in the shape of a butterfly. He tiptoed towards the door and got out a glass from his cape. He heard people inside, so he put the glass to the door and listened.
Inside...
"So, what do you want to do?"
"I don't know."
"Make up your mind. You're visitor will be here soon."
"I really hope he says yes."
"Perhaps. Would it be that bad if he said no?"
"Perhaps." giggles.
"You are impossible to talk to! Well, you're visitor is here already. Have fun. Tea tomorrow?"
"Same time and place."
"Until then. Ciao."
Xellos was surprised when a lady with elfin ears and blue hair walked through the door. She was about his height.
"Hello," she said. "Amph is waiting for you inside." She looked at him and smiled. "Good luck!" Xellos looked surprised at her. She smiled and pushed him into the room.
"Hi!" said Queen Amph. There was a table with tea things and two chairs. "Have a seat! We can have tea while we talk." Xellos nodded silently as he stared at the Queen. She had changed radically. She didn't look like a child anymore. She looked older, wiser, stricter. He sat down and took a sip of tea that she had poured for him.
"How was your day?" she asked after taking a bite out of a tea biscuit with butter and strawberry jelly.
"It was considerably better." he said. "Thank you very much for your help." She smiled.
"Oh, that was Fate," said the Queen with a smile. "Fate's quite nice when I explain things nicely to her.
"I'll thank her when I see her," said Xellos, not quite sure how he was going to find Fate.
"You might see her later. She was the lady you passed when you came in." said the girl with a smile.
"Oh..." said Xellos. He had actually seen Fate. Wow...
"So, anyway, I'm waiting for your answer," she said. "The opportunity won't come again. Speak now, or forever remain silent. Xellos thought for a while. He took out the contract and stared at it.
"Before answering, I have two questions." he said, not quite sure how the L-sama would take it.
"Ask away," she said. "It's very good to be informed when deciding something of such importance." Xellos looked at the contract as he asked.
"I need to talk to Lina." he said. "Will I be able to do as I wish and talk to her when I want to? And number two, will I still be a Mazoku?" The Lord of Nightmares smiled at that for three seconds before being serious once more. Fortunately, Xellos didn't see it. He was still looking at the contract, his hands in his lap, clenching the tablecloth.
"Sure," she said. "As long as she's still alive and you get your work done. And you're not exactly a Mazoku when you become knight. You become a chaos being, like me. You can take up any form you want though. If you want, you can still look like a Mazoku if you want. Me, I change my figure all the time." Xellos looked up. She sounded almost, happy?
"Then, I accept," he said. He opened the book to the last page. Chaos passed him a quill. Xellos looked at the blank page, having memorized what he had to write.
I, Xellos, do pledge myself to Chaos, and accept the title and rank of Chaos Knight, under the guidance of the Lord of Nightmares. Signed: Xellos, the Trickster Priest
There done, signed and finished. He looked at it. He felt as if a weight had been taken from his shoulders, and replaced with a lighter one. And he looked at the small statement with satisfaction. He had better
handwriting than Lina, that was for sure. He handed her the contract.
"Thank you Xellos," said the Queen, all smiles. "Welcome to the family of Chaos!!! Swearing in is in a few days. Anyone you'd like to invite?"
"Not really," said Xellos. "It'd be nice if Lina was there. That's about it I guess."
"Can I add more people?" asked the Queen as she flipped open a notepad and started to write on it.
"Sure, I don't really mind," he said. Queen Chaos Amph was all smiles.
"Do whatever you want until swearing in, which is in about three days! Here's your user's guide to chaos magic and yeah! That's about it! I'll visit you in your dream working out some of the smaller details. Till then!" She saluted and disappeared. She left a note on the table.
"Could you put the tea stuff away, please? There's a cupboard behind you. Thanx! As usual, press wake when you're ready. Lina left for Seerin. Good luck! Chaos Amph." And Xellos smiled. Life seemed to have improved already.
AUTHOR'S NOTES...
Wow, I finished this chapter really quickly! Yeah!!! I'm so happy! Well, how are you guys doing? Thank you for all the encouraging notes. They make my day, and inspire me to write. Thanx!!! So tell me, what did you think of the chapter? You know me, Read and Review, and Comment and Criticize. Don't worry, if you say something bad, I won't kill you. ^.^;;
And don't worry, the romance is coming soon. (Hey! It's one chapter closer!!! ^^)
Well, till next time! Keep up the great work on the reviews!!! ^.^;;
Hotaru Kimiko Lai
Quotes for the chapter...
"Life, is like a peach." QD-chan
"Joy, is like a spoon. Think about it." Sayna-chan
"Orale Che Cool!" Yanis-chan
^.^ I like my quotes!!!! Aren't QD-chan, Yanis-chan and Sayna-chan so smart?