Slayers: To the End...
By Kimiko
Disclaimer...
Please insert the standard disclaimer in here. The author is too depressed about life to write it in at the present moment. Thank you. ^.^
Chapter 13
Peaches and Strawberries Don't Mix...
"You called us, Ms. Lina?" asked Amelia as she sat on a couch in a study. Zel sat beside her and wondered what the heck was going on.
"Nope!" said Lina with a smile. "Actually, Xellos called all of you. If I had it my way, I wouldn't have called the meeting." She grinned.
"Yes, I called all of you." said Xellos from within the shadows. Everyone turned to look at the figure who came out walking slowly. He had a small grin on his face.
"What for?" asked Gourry. He was sitting in an arm chair. He scratched his head.
"You'll see." said Xellos.
"So, Xellos, what do you want?" asked Zelgadis, suspiciously.
"Why Zelgadis! I'm surprised! Are you suspicious of poor, little me?" asked Xellos, sarcastically. Lina looked up at that. Xellos usually didn't talk like that to people, unless he was planning something big and unexpected. Xellos looked at her from the side of the eye and noted her surprise.
[Anything wrong, Lina chan?] he thought to her.
"Fruitcake..." muttered Zel under his breath. He started to leave.
[What are you planning?] asked Lina to Xellos.
[Now.]
"I wouldn't leave if I were you." said Xellos. In the dimness of the room, Xellos sounded almost evil.
[Now? Oh... I get it!] thought Lina. Lina grinned at Zel. She motioned for Zel to sit still.
"We have a little surprise planned for you. That's all!" said Lina. She allowed herself to grin madly and started to power up. The red glow cast by the ruby colored gems lit up the room by a little. She silently recited the spell to get more power. Xellos smiled. Lina didn't know it, but she was playing her part perfectly! She looked so evil like that, her ruby red hair gleaming like fresh blood in the light of the stones. Zel, Amelia and Gourry looked on, not quite sure what was going on. Lina's talismans all of a sudden flashed to a golden color, with streaks of black, like lightning every once in a while. Xellos smiled even more. The spell they were about to cast needed lots of energy to cast. With Xellos missing his staff, Lina had to draw all the power needed from L-sama by herself, which was why she was using the talismans, to amplify her own resources.
"Ready, Lina?" he asked.
"Ready." said Lina.
"Ready for what?" asked Gourry, not quite getting it, although, in this case he was justified.
"Mother of All." intoned Xellos. He put his one hand on Lina's shoulder, getting ready to open the connection between them and cast the spell.
"Creator of Chaos" whispered Lina softly, as she closed her eyes. Her hands gripped the chair as she struggled to concentrate.
"We call on you, Knights of Chaos, both. Lend us your power and let the stone change to flesh. Calling on your power, let your chaotic light shine. So we ask, so we give. Lord of Nightmares, hear our plea. Run your power through your humble servants." recited Xellos.
"With steadfast will..." said Xellos.
"We open the gate." finished Lina.
Zelgadis prepared a shield when he heard them start. Had something gone wrong? Had Xellos warped Lina's mind? But as the spell continued, he slowly dropped the shield... could it be? What did Xellos mean by changing stone to flesh?
Lina's forehead was beaded with sweat as she finally opened herself to allow the energy through into Xellos's hand. Xellos felt the magic course through him, forming an aura of dancing light to surround both of them. The light slowly extended and formed around Zelgadis. Amelia and Gourry backed away as the light engulfed Zelgadis, from toes to the tip of his hair.
Zelgadis felt a burning sensation, but it didn't hurt. The fire seemed to burn around him, yet he didn't feel too warm. Slowly, he felt a tingling sensation come over him, like the three million pricks one feels when your limb falls asleep, forgetting that it's not supposed to do that. The light faded, he stood alone. Slowly, he raised his hands to his face. Instead of washed and gleaming stones, he saw pale, smooth skin. Hesitantly, he fingered his hair. Instead of steel, stainless, wire, he felt soft hair.
The light around the two Knights slowly faded. As soon as it was gone though, Lina gasped in pain. Xellos held her hand and lent her some of his own energy to replace her dwindling supply. He looked up. Zel was speechless. Amelia and Gourry just stared at him. He looked at Lina, who's face was amazingly white. He made his decision and let Lina fireball him if she so wished. With out a second thought, he carefully picked her up in his arms and teleported them away.
Amelia squealed like a little girl and ran and hugged him. It was so different to feel soft, warm skin under her arms when she hugged him. He hugged her back with out a thought, so happy was he! Gourry stared at them.
"Hey, Zel, you're not made of stone any more!" he said. He hugged the two of them as they laughed with joy. Zel broke apart for a while, as he was not yet used to feeling human arms touching his human skin. Besides, he still had to say thanks to Lina, and Xellos also.
"Hey, where are they?" he asked. Amelia and Gourry turned and looked.
"They were here just a second ago..." said Gourry. Amelia shrugged her shoulders. She didn't understand why Xellos had helped Lina cast the spell to heal Zelgadis, but that didn't matter. She'd tell them thank you later. Now, to celebrate!
*****
Xellos frowned pensively as Lina laid prone on his bed. They were in his small pocket dimension in the Astral Plane. He had ported them there immediately. Lina had fainted from the exertion and he had quickly gotten a cold towel on her forehead. He softly and carefully wiped the sweat. Lina's breathing had evened out. It was strange, the manual hadn't said anything about these side effects. Of course, the manual also assumed that they both had their amplification talismans. As it was, Lina's were still Demonsblood talismans and had to fight the black magic to allow the chaotic one in. And he had lost his staff, so Lina had to draw most of the power. Of course, controlling all that power, who wouldn't be half dead after that?
He was glad, though. Lina's breathing had evened out and now, she just seemed to be sleeping. He sat down beside her and played with her soft hair as he fed some more of his energy into her. That would speed up the healing process. He looked up and acknowledged LoN, who had just ported in.
"How do you do?" asked Xellos politely. "Thank you for your power back there."
"You're welcome." she said. "Anyway, I was surprised you tried that with out your real talismans. That was a major drain on Lina you know. I thought I told you to take care of her." She sounded like a mother softly chiding her children.
"She knew." said Xellos. "She was willing to take the risk. Nothing I said stopped her." The two talked late into the night. Lina woke up a while later and joined in the conversation. By the time it was over, Lina was feeling many times better. But the two Knights were feeling more serious. They forged their new talismans that night. They continued to talk and discuss matters and what their new mission would be. The two
were dead tired by the time it had finished.
*****
The next day, Zelgadis woke up. He got up and stretched, a stretch from toes to his finger tips. His human fingertips, made of human flesh. He stared at himself in the mirror and smiled. Black hair fell over his one eye. His ears were normal, not pointed anymore. And his skin, a creamy beige color, not too tanned, and not too white. He smiled a huge smile. Pink gums, white teeth... human to the core! But he wondered... how had his transformation affected his magic, his power, or his abilities? For some reason, he was half scared to find out. His information with Rowan. She had been right. All the things she had ticked off on her fingers were true. His chimeric form had given him certain advantages. For example, there was his demon speed and hearing. That had come in handy many times while traveling. And of course, there was the fact that rock skin was harder to penetrate with your run of the mill ordinary sword than was flesh. And his strength... he looked at his hands. Lina and Xellos had been able to give him something he had wished for ever since his encounter with Rezo. All the hidden traps and dead ends had led nowhere. Now, he had it. Someone had handed it to him on a silver platter. No selling your soul, no catch, except, maybe, you loose your advantages. But, if he ever wanted to change, he'd just have to talk to Lina and Xellos, right? Yeah... that was all! What was the problem. If he really needed it, he'd ask them. So with a smile, he went down to eat breakfast.
*****
Amelia woke up. She rose from her fluffy four poster bed. The covers were red with pale pink sakura blossoms. She ran to the window and drew open the drapes. She felt like shouting Good Morning! to everybody outside. But no... she wouldn't do it. But she felt so well! She stretched and stared at her mirror. Her eyes took on a dreamy faraway look as she remembered last night's events. Zelgadis was finally human! And Ms. Lina had done it. OK, Xellos had helped also. And Zel looked sooooooo handsome!!! *insert squeal here* She was so happy. She hugged him last night, and he had hugged back. He was smiling. He was laughing. He was glad. And she was glad also! Life was beautiful! Justice always triumphed! And the world was a happy place! Hurrah! She combed her black hair and ran down to have breakfast.
*****
Gourry woke up. He smiled and brushed his long, golden hair and thought happy thoughts. Was there anything really important that he noticed yesterday? Oh yeah, the chicken had been cooked too long. With that thought in mind, he went downstairs happily to his breakfast.
*****
Lina woke up and yawned. She wanted to go back to sleep, so she tried to. Just as she was going to, though, she caught sight of the room. She immediately woke up. What in the world was Xellos doing, sleeping in a chair beside her bed? She peered at him curiously. He was smiling slightly in his sleep. He looked... kawaii. Rarely had she ever seen him look so rested and content, so happy and safe. He almost looked childish. In his hands, he gripped his new staff, the one L-sama had given him. They had forged it last night. It looked like his old staff. Same style, same wood, but a different crystal. It was a dark onyx crystal with a heart of amethyst and ruby, arranged in gold. Not that you could tell. It had been forged last night. It was a link to Chaos and had a special affinity with her. It had taken a lot of him. He had already been down on energy when he gave her his. She blushed at that. He was so considerate and kind... almost like a totally different person! She got up quietly, so as to not bother him, and stretched. She noticed she was in PJs, and promptly decided she did not want to know how she changed from her normal clothes to PJs...
Her eyes roamed to her box, that was beside her bed. She took the box and opened it up. Inside, where four talismans. One for her throat, as a clasp for a cloak, two for her wrists, and one for her waist. They looked almost the same as before, except that, these talismans were tuned into Chaos instead of Darkness. The stones in each one was just a red, but hid the heart of the crystal effectively. It had the same arrangement on the inside as Xellos's staff had. Amethyst, gold and ruby. She smiled. She took the box and went to the bathroom to change into some more presentable clothes.
*****
Xellos woke up after Lina had gone into the bathroom. He opened his eyes and looked at his surroundings. Oh yeah, he remembered! After the forging of the talismans, Xellos had dropped Lina off and then sat in a chair beside her. She was still wearing her research cloths and now, they were decorated with her new and improved talismans. She looked so peaceful when she was sleeping, 'cause that was what she was doing. She was beat from everything that happened. But he didn't want her clothes to get wrinkled like that. So he did the only thing he could, he changed her clothes for her. No, he used magic! No peeking! Honestly! After that, though, he was very tired, so he dropped into a chair and fell asleep.
Now, he was awake, and he felt very refreshed. He looked at his staff. It looked so much like his old staff. It felt like his old staff. It was nice. He had a power amplifier once more. Now, next time they cast a huge spell, Lina wouldn't be drained dry of her own energy. Speaking of which... he listened a little, and smiled when he heard Lina singing to herself in the bathroom. So, he got up and stretched. They'd be leaving tonight. So, that meant lots of preparation and instructions for Zel and Amelia and Gourry and the whole group. But first, he wanted to talk to Lina. The Lord of Nightmares had made their mission sound very serious, and dangerous. He wanted to talk to Lina a little more. They'd be too busy to do much after tonight. So he sat and waited.
Lina came out, wearing her research clothes and her talismans. She saw Xellos.
"Morning, Xellos!" she said.
"Morning, Lina!" he answered back. Silence. Xellos tried to formulate a statement in his mouth. One that would sound nice and sincere, but wouldn't make him look like a dolt.
"Hey, Lina," he said.
"Yeah?" she asked. She didn't know what to do. What are you supposed to do when you see the person you love so much, but are scared to tell him? You can't just run to him and say "I Love You!" What if it wasn't reciprocated? What if he thought her silly? She didn't know how she'd take to that, so she said nothing.
"Um... I was wondering. Let's go out to the city and have fun today!" he said. Yeah, Lina liked fun, and food... "We can eat at a restaurant and all that stuff."
"What for?" asked Lina. She so wanted to say that she would love to go with him, but she had a reputation to keep up. So, no matter how much she waned to squeal, she took a deep and calming breath. "Won't we need to tell Zel and the others about what's going on?"
"We can leave them notes." said Xellos. "Besides, after tonight, there will hardly be anymore time for fun, Lina! I invite!" Lina pretended to look thoughtful. OK, hold the pose for three seconds. Two, One...
"OK!" she said, having pretended that she wasn't sure.
"Yeah!" said Xellos. "Let go!" And so, Lina and Xellos flew out the window. Lina happy, cause she could spend more time with him. And Xellos happy, for basically the same reason. Aren't they cute? *insert sigh of happiness here*
They left a message for Zelgadis, Amelia and Gourry. Notes about what to expect next, where they would be, how to get ready. There was a surreal tone to all of this. None of them were ready to believe what the Lord of Nightmares had told them. War of the races? How? So far, only the Mazoku were involved. L-sama had carefully explained to them. If the Mazoku hierarchy falls apart, there will be a power struggle among all the Mazoku. The Ryouzoku will then take advantage of that and will attack. At this point, Lina had asked a question...
"LUNA'S GONNA BE INVOLVED!!!!????" Anyway, not necessarily, was the answer. It depends how well Lina did her job... so that served as motivation. Next, the fight between the Ryouzoku and Mazoku would erupt, and guess who would get hit? The humans of course, which meant that every mage would retaliate or hide. Whatever they did, the human casualty list would escalate like never before... and so, the world would be destroyed. That meant that Chaos would have to scrap everything she had worked at and start all over again. Something, she majorly didn't want to do. But first, L-sama had been bound by Fate and could not tell them exactly what to do, due to the wager, she had "lost" to Zelas while playing dice. Here, Lina and Xellos had sweatdropped. So, they were going to start their mission tonight. So, until then...
"I want two of these, and three of those. And can I have some of this for dessert also? Oh, and some tea for Xellos." said Lina as she stared critically at the menu. The waitress flipped the page and continued to write. "Right, Xellos?" Xellos, who was sitting across from Lina smiled.
"You know me too well." he said. "Yes, I'd like a cup of tea. Some jasmine tea would be nice."
The waitress nodded and kept on writing.
"Anything else?" she asked. She crossed her fingers, hoping for a no...
"Oh, and an extra large strawberry parfait. Extra strawberries, or else..." said Lina suspiciously. The waitress nodded and asked Xellos what he wanted.
"Um, a banana split. With extra cream, and nuts, and strawberry and peach slices. And chocolate ice cream. And a cherry." said Xellos. "For two." Lina looked surprised, and blushed when she saw his twinkling eyes.
"Um... then, uh, skip the parfait..." she said. "But, extra strawberries!" The waitress scratched out something and added more to her growing list and left.
There was an awkward silence. Lina didn't know what to do. She had no idea why she had canceled her order for strawberry parfait... well, truth be told, was because Xellos had ordered that huge banana split for the two.
"I didn't know you liked banana splits..." said Lina, tired of the silence. She was supposed to be anything but a love sick girl!!!! So how come she enjoyed it?
"Oh, Seyruun has very nice ice-cream dishes." said Xellos with a grin. "One shouldn't let such a nice opportunity go to waste. It's nice of you to share a banana split with me, Lina-chan." He grinned at her. Lina blushed and fiddled with the napkin in her lap. Their food finally came. Lina, for once, ate like a lady, so perturbed was she. Besides, there was no need to eat hurriedly. Gourry wasn't around. Xellos sipped his tea and smiled and made some small talk. All in all, it was a very pleasant lunch. The waitress cleared the plates, and brought out the dreaded banana split. Well, dreaded from Lina's point of view because she had no idea how to act. To their surprise, it was on a heart shaped platter, with little heart shaped crackers. And two spoons, with very ornate handles.
"Um... excuse me, miss?" asked Lina. She pointed at the dessert in a puzzled way.
"Oh, I'm sorry, I forgot to tell you." she said. "Today we are having a special for couples." Lina mega blushed. "All desserts are half off, and the hearts are added, on the house. Enjoy!" She smiled and left the two blushing knights.
"Oh..." said Lina. "I had no idea..." She looked at her lap. Xellos was shocked. Ordering it for two was just a joke, and he was surprised when Lina actually said yes... and now... L-sama was laughing her butt off, he knew.
"Let's eat then!" he said, jovially. "Don't let this ice-cream go to waste!" He took up a spoon and took a bite. Lina smiled shyly and also took a bite. And another.
"Wow! This is really good!" she said happily. She reached for a strawberry, but they were on Xellos's side.
"Here, I'll give you one." he said and took it into his spoon. He spoon-fed Lina the strawberry, and was surprised at the expression of satisfaction on her face.
"Yummy." she said. With a laugh, Xellos spoon-fed her some more. Lina was too happy to care at the present moment. They quickly finished the banana split. Xellos, Lina discovered, really liked peach slices. He moved over so that he sat beside her.
"You like fruit?" she asked. Somehow, the thought had never crossed her mind.
"Yeah." said Xellos as he took a bite of the peach slice. "It's my favorite!"
"I never thought of you having a favorite fruit." she said.
"I bet you like strawberries, don't you?" he asked. "And yeah, I really like peach! I think it's the best fruit in the world!"
"Oh yeah?" challenged Lina. "I think that strawberries are the best!"
"Ne, Lina-chan. You're wrong." said Xellos bluntly as he waved his fork in the air. "Peaches are crisp. They have a mellow flavor, yet are very juicy and succulent."
"Strawberries are soft, delicious, bursting with flavor." said Lina. "It's active! In motion! Forget mellow. These burst with flavor!"
"Peaches are bigger, and funner to eat." said Xellos. "It's a soft taste, that catches you by surprise when the flavor hits."
"Strawberries are dripping with flavor." said Lina. She picked one up. "They are small and easy to eat. Perfect for munching on! No wasting time on waiting for the flavor to come. Small bites have just as much juice as big ones." She slowly bit her strawberry, savoring the juice.
"Peaches are nice and big." said Xellos, not quite ready to loose to Lina. "Strawberries are too violent. Peaches are secretive and suave. Like me!" He took a bite out of a peach.
"Well, strawberries are anything but passive! It's like an explosion of exotic tastes. Like me!" she stuck her tongue out at him. He did too, before he leaned forward and gave her a tender kiss, savoring her lips. Lina was surprised and didn't respond. He broke the kiss and smiled at her.
"You're right." he said slyly. "Exotic. A worthwhile experience. Strawberries aren't that bad, I guess." Lina flushed dark red as she looked at him. She remembered the kiss from a few days ago, in the tree. She had not said a thing about it, and he, thankfully, had not brought it up. She hadn't been ready to deal with it. Then, there was the other day, the small kiss she gave him. His teasing smile. Something she wasn't quite ready to deal with yet either.
She had been surprised. More than surprised. She hadn't felt so, so, playful like yesterday in a long time. They really had to talk, which was what they were doing. So, you should start the conversation in the right mood, right? So, she softly brought his head down to hers and kissed him softly, on the lips. No more playing, they were going to talk, right now! But after the kiss. Xellos kissed her back softly. She broke it and looked at Xellos shyly.
[We have to talk.] she thought to him.
[Understood.] he said. He took her hand and lead her out of the restaurant, after paying the bill.
They walked around town, not really saying anything. Both were too lost in their thoughts to realize that they were still holding hands. Finally, Lina led him to a small park. They found a small secluded bench and sat there, still holding hands.
"So, how do we start this?" asked Lina, not quite sure how to go about starting The Talk.
"How about, I love you Lina, more than I ever thought would be possible?" asked Xellos as he looked into Lina's eyes. She blushed lightly and looked away. Xellos waited for a response. It had taken him a lot to go out and say it like that, so bluntly, with out any warning. He had to tell her. He was ready to accept defeat, he told himself, although the longer Lina took to answer, the more his heart felt like it would break. "Or is that not what you were expecting?"
Lina drew her hand away from his hold. Strangely, he let go. His eyes darkened as he stared at the ground, not looking at her. He knew it would hurt. Leaving yourself open like this was bound to have its consequences. That's why he had stopped having feelings. But, this hurt more than he thought it would. He felt something build up in his eyes.
Lina could feel him getting depressed at her lack of emotion. The truth was, she still couldn't believe it. Xellos, in love with her? No way. Couldn't be. She was dreaming. He couldn't love her, could he? Ever since she had met him, he had captivated her interest. His personality was so cool, so calm and controlled, but hidden behind that cool exterior, was a warm person she had never thought she'd find. So, how do you respond when something like this happens? She turned to look at him, to tell him something, but to her surprise, found that he had vanished. She felt a message coming in.
[Gomen ne, Lina san.] said the voice. [I won't anymore.] Then his touch disappeared. She tried to blink away the tears, but they came down anyway. She clenched her fists. She had been such a fool, thinking she could handle this. She had wanted to talk, she had wanted to know how he felt. Now she knew. She was a total idiot thinking she could handle this. She was a total idiot, thinking she could hide her feelings. She stifled a sob as she let the tears fall, unheeded, down her cheeks.
'Idiot!' he thought to himself. 'Why? Why did I tell her that?' Xellos paced around in his private pocket dimension on the Astral Plane. Here, he didn't worry about having to keep pretenses up. The building up in his eyes finally became too much, and tears leaked from his eyes. He threw himself down on his bed. 'Why? I should have kept silent. But I thought...' He had thought, dared to hope,... Hope... Why even bother? Why even hope? There was a reason Zelas had told him to lock his feelings up. Hope more often than not led to disappointment. This wasn't one of those silly romance novels that Amelia read during her free time, about love triumphing, about hope, not leading to disappointment, but to joy. What was he thinking? This was life, not a sappy story. Hope was nothing. Lina had just proved it to him. He rolled over and stared at the ceiling. He couldn't. He couldn't get her out of his mind. How she laughed, how she moved, how her eyes flashed, how her cheeks had turned red after their kiss. He had thought, hoped, there was the silly word again. Hoped that Lina also felt something for him. How she had looked at him, how she had smiled at him. He had thought... But no, Lina wasn't like that. He knew her. In all the times they had traveled together, Lina never was like that. He had let his feelings control his actions.
'I'm supposed to be cool, controlled, stoic...' he thought to himself. But he wasn't. He was tired of pretending. He had hoped. Hoped, hoped, hoped, hoped and looked like an idiot. Hope wasn't as great as people made it seem. It was, after all, a four letter word. He carefully put himself together again. He wasn't a Mazoku anymore. He didn't have total control of his feelings. So, he slowly put himself together. He was Xellos. Ex-Mazoku. Knight of Chaos, with Lina... Everything, absolutely every part of himself revolved around Lina. She was his everything. The only one who trusted him. The only one who cared. But not the way he wished. Hadn't Chaos told him that she was the one? Had he just ruined his chance of being with her? He felt his tears begin once more. He finally let exhaustion take over his body and fell asleep, not hearing the call Lina gave him three minutes later.
Lina sighed. He couldn't hear her, wherever he was. She had given up hours ago. The sky was dark. She walked back to the palace dejectedly. She'd tell Amelia and the others she and Xellos would leave tonight. Tell her a few instructions, watch out for Mazoku attacks and Ryouzoku attacks and from the others. She walked in, and ran into Zelgadis.
"Lina! You're back!" he smiled and hugged her. Lina was surprised that had come over Zel. "I was just about to go out and look for you!" Lina looked at him.
"You look great, Zel!" she said tiredly. "See, I told you your cure was out there somewhere." Zel looked at her.
"I can still do magic, I still have my hearing,..." he looked at him, his face all smiles. "Thank you so much, Lina."
"You shouldn't thank me, Zelgadis." she said slowly. "Thank Xellos. He is the one who worded the spell. He could have taken your magic away also, you know. He was the one to leave you as you were, except for stone skin." Zel was speechless. It was Xellos, who had given him his magic.
"I'll thank him when I see him." said Zel. "Speaking of which, where is the fruitcake?" Lina sniffled. She struggled to hold back her tears, but was too tired. She broke and hugged him hard, her ears soaking his tan shirt. He hesitantly hugged her back, trying to calm her down.
"I don't know where he is..." she sobbed.
"What's wrong, Lina?" asked Zel, worried to death. "Did he do something to you? Because if he did... I swear I'll..." It was to this scene that Xellos arrived.
His eyes took in Lina, hugging Zel, sobbing her eyes out. His heart ached when he realized that he was the reason for those tears. He took in Zel hugging her, trying to calm her down. His eyes closed in pain. He nodded to the two of them and vanished, although Lina didn't notice.
"Lina? Are you OK?" he asked. "The fruitcake just came by..." Lina looked up, her eyes hopeful.
"Xellos? Where is he?" she asked. She had to talk to him, so she whipped her head around, seeing if she could spot him.
"He came in, saw us and left." said Zelgadis. He took Lina by the shoulders. "Lina, what's wrong?" Lina's eyes dropped. He probably saw them hugging, and now, he had vanished once more. Her shoulders slumped.
"I'll be fine," she said softly. She took his hands away from her shoulders and left to go to her room. "Tell the others that Xellos and I have a mission tonight. Don't know when we'll be back. Be on guard for any attacks." She said this with out looking back.
That night, L-sama called both of them. Xellos had his eyes closed, his face stoic, not smiling nor frowning. He looked like the Mazoku he used to be. Lina looked dejected. Her eyes looked tired.
"Your mission is to find the Scroll of Albuntra, containing the last writings of the sage Albuntra. The call number is 548.3 A.S45, Lina, OK?" said the Lord of Nightmares. "I'm splitting you up so that you can cover more territory. Be on guard for any of Zelas's men. When you find it, find each other and then use the scroll to come back." The two nodded. "Good luck. May the Chaotic Force be with you!" The two raised their eyebrows. She giggled.
"Well, I'm trying to get a rise out of you two! Look happy! You'll do fine!" she said. "Please? Please smile for me?" The two gave her a weak smile. "Yeah!" A portal opened and the two stepped through the portal, one after another.
L-sama frowned. Something had happened today. Why were they so sad? They hadn't talked or looked at each other ever since she called them. They looked so sad..., it made her want to cry.
Author's notes...
OK, I admit it, I'm a sucker for waff... but I love angst and tragedies just as much!!! Sorry I ended on a depressing note. Life has caught up with me, and it's very stupid at the present moment (keeping my language clean ^^)... Anyway! I'm happy, cause school is almost out! (That's always a cause for celebration!) I have to take two final exams this week, Chemistry and Physics. I'm so glad I don't have to take the Pre- Calculus final...^^ Anyway, hope you enjoyed the story. Take care, all of ya! Keep your chin up and don't give up! (That's my encouraging thing for the day...)
As usual, Read and Review, Comment and Criticize, and yeah... all that stuff. Do something so I know you're reading this! =^^= Thanks to all my loyal reviewers! You guys are awesome!!!!!!!!!
PS... I loooooooooooove strawberries and peaches. I honestly think they do mix, but that will be later...^^
Hotaru
=^.^=
Quotes...
"Islam is a religion in which God requires you to send your son to die for him. Christianity is a faith in which God sends his son to die for you." -John Ashcroft
"The pen is mightier than the sword, especially if it's sharp, pointy and full of ink!" -Me
"Times are bad. Children no longer obey their parents, and everyone is writing a book."
-Marcus Tullius Cicero
And a personal favorite...
"¿Que is poesia? dices mientras clavas
en mi pupila to pupila azul;
¿Que es poesia? y tu me lo preguntas?
Poesia... eres tu."
-Gustavo Adolfo Becquer
By Kimiko
Disclaimer...
Please insert the standard disclaimer in here. The author is too depressed about life to write it in at the present moment. Thank you. ^.^
Chapter 13
Peaches and Strawberries Don't Mix...
"You called us, Ms. Lina?" asked Amelia as she sat on a couch in a study. Zel sat beside her and wondered what the heck was going on.
"Nope!" said Lina with a smile. "Actually, Xellos called all of you. If I had it my way, I wouldn't have called the meeting." She grinned.
"Yes, I called all of you." said Xellos from within the shadows. Everyone turned to look at the figure who came out walking slowly. He had a small grin on his face.
"What for?" asked Gourry. He was sitting in an arm chair. He scratched his head.
"You'll see." said Xellos.
"So, Xellos, what do you want?" asked Zelgadis, suspiciously.
"Why Zelgadis! I'm surprised! Are you suspicious of poor, little me?" asked Xellos, sarcastically. Lina looked up at that. Xellos usually didn't talk like that to people, unless he was planning something big and unexpected. Xellos looked at her from the side of the eye and noted her surprise.
[Anything wrong, Lina chan?] he thought to her.
"Fruitcake..." muttered Zel under his breath. He started to leave.
[What are you planning?] asked Lina to Xellos.
[Now.]
"I wouldn't leave if I were you." said Xellos. In the dimness of the room, Xellos sounded almost evil.
[Now? Oh... I get it!] thought Lina. Lina grinned at Zel. She motioned for Zel to sit still.
"We have a little surprise planned for you. That's all!" said Lina. She allowed herself to grin madly and started to power up. The red glow cast by the ruby colored gems lit up the room by a little. She silently recited the spell to get more power. Xellos smiled. Lina didn't know it, but she was playing her part perfectly! She looked so evil like that, her ruby red hair gleaming like fresh blood in the light of the stones. Zel, Amelia and Gourry looked on, not quite sure what was going on. Lina's talismans all of a sudden flashed to a golden color, with streaks of black, like lightning every once in a while. Xellos smiled even more. The spell they were about to cast needed lots of energy to cast. With Xellos missing his staff, Lina had to draw all the power needed from L-sama by herself, which was why she was using the talismans, to amplify her own resources.
"Ready, Lina?" he asked.
"Ready." said Lina.
"Ready for what?" asked Gourry, not quite getting it, although, in this case he was justified.
"Mother of All." intoned Xellos. He put his one hand on Lina's shoulder, getting ready to open the connection between them and cast the spell.
"Creator of Chaos" whispered Lina softly, as she closed her eyes. Her hands gripped the chair as she struggled to concentrate.
"We call on you, Knights of Chaos, both. Lend us your power and let the stone change to flesh. Calling on your power, let your chaotic light shine. So we ask, so we give. Lord of Nightmares, hear our plea. Run your power through your humble servants." recited Xellos.
"With steadfast will..." said Xellos.
"We open the gate." finished Lina.
Zelgadis prepared a shield when he heard them start. Had something gone wrong? Had Xellos warped Lina's mind? But as the spell continued, he slowly dropped the shield... could it be? What did Xellos mean by changing stone to flesh?
Lina's forehead was beaded with sweat as she finally opened herself to allow the energy through into Xellos's hand. Xellos felt the magic course through him, forming an aura of dancing light to surround both of them. The light slowly extended and formed around Zelgadis. Amelia and Gourry backed away as the light engulfed Zelgadis, from toes to the tip of his hair.
Zelgadis felt a burning sensation, but it didn't hurt. The fire seemed to burn around him, yet he didn't feel too warm. Slowly, he felt a tingling sensation come over him, like the three million pricks one feels when your limb falls asleep, forgetting that it's not supposed to do that. The light faded, he stood alone. Slowly, he raised his hands to his face. Instead of washed and gleaming stones, he saw pale, smooth skin. Hesitantly, he fingered his hair. Instead of steel, stainless, wire, he felt soft hair.
The light around the two Knights slowly faded. As soon as it was gone though, Lina gasped in pain. Xellos held her hand and lent her some of his own energy to replace her dwindling supply. He looked up. Zel was speechless. Amelia and Gourry just stared at him. He looked at Lina, who's face was amazingly white. He made his decision and let Lina fireball him if she so wished. With out a second thought, he carefully picked her up in his arms and teleported them away.
Amelia squealed like a little girl and ran and hugged him. It was so different to feel soft, warm skin under her arms when she hugged him. He hugged her back with out a thought, so happy was he! Gourry stared at them.
"Hey, Zel, you're not made of stone any more!" he said. He hugged the two of them as they laughed with joy. Zel broke apart for a while, as he was not yet used to feeling human arms touching his human skin. Besides, he still had to say thanks to Lina, and Xellos also.
"Hey, where are they?" he asked. Amelia and Gourry turned and looked.
"They were here just a second ago..." said Gourry. Amelia shrugged her shoulders. She didn't understand why Xellos had helped Lina cast the spell to heal Zelgadis, but that didn't matter. She'd tell them thank you later. Now, to celebrate!
*****
Xellos frowned pensively as Lina laid prone on his bed. They were in his small pocket dimension in the Astral Plane. He had ported them there immediately. Lina had fainted from the exertion and he had quickly gotten a cold towel on her forehead. He softly and carefully wiped the sweat. Lina's breathing had evened out. It was strange, the manual hadn't said anything about these side effects. Of course, the manual also assumed that they both had their amplification talismans. As it was, Lina's were still Demonsblood talismans and had to fight the black magic to allow the chaotic one in. And he had lost his staff, so Lina had to draw most of the power. Of course, controlling all that power, who wouldn't be half dead after that?
He was glad, though. Lina's breathing had evened out and now, she just seemed to be sleeping. He sat down beside her and played with her soft hair as he fed some more of his energy into her. That would speed up the healing process. He looked up and acknowledged LoN, who had just ported in.
"How do you do?" asked Xellos politely. "Thank you for your power back there."
"You're welcome." she said. "Anyway, I was surprised you tried that with out your real talismans. That was a major drain on Lina you know. I thought I told you to take care of her." She sounded like a mother softly chiding her children.
"She knew." said Xellos. "She was willing to take the risk. Nothing I said stopped her." The two talked late into the night. Lina woke up a while later and joined in the conversation. By the time it was over, Lina was feeling many times better. But the two Knights were feeling more serious. They forged their new talismans that night. They continued to talk and discuss matters and what their new mission would be. The two
were dead tired by the time it had finished.
*****
The next day, Zelgadis woke up. He got up and stretched, a stretch from toes to his finger tips. His human fingertips, made of human flesh. He stared at himself in the mirror and smiled. Black hair fell over his one eye. His ears were normal, not pointed anymore. And his skin, a creamy beige color, not too tanned, and not too white. He smiled a huge smile. Pink gums, white teeth... human to the core! But he wondered... how had his transformation affected his magic, his power, or his abilities? For some reason, he was half scared to find out. His information with Rowan. She had been right. All the things she had ticked off on her fingers were true. His chimeric form had given him certain advantages. For example, there was his demon speed and hearing. That had come in handy many times while traveling. And of course, there was the fact that rock skin was harder to penetrate with your run of the mill ordinary sword than was flesh. And his strength... he looked at his hands. Lina and Xellos had been able to give him something he had wished for ever since his encounter with Rezo. All the hidden traps and dead ends had led nowhere. Now, he had it. Someone had handed it to him on a silver platter. No selling your soul, no catch, except, maybe, you loose your advantages. But, if he ever wanted to change, he'd just have to talk to Lina and Xellos, right? Yeah... that was all! What was the problem. If he really needed it, he'd ask them. So with a smile, he went down to eat breakfast.
*****
Amelia woke up. She rose from her fluffy four poster bed. The covers were red with pale pink sakura blossoms. She ran to the window and drew open the drapes. She felt like shouting Good Morning! to everybody outside. But no... she wouldn't do it. But she felt so well! She stretched and stared at her mirror. Her eyes took on a dreamy faraway look as she remembered last night's events. Zelgadis was finally human! And Ms. Lina had done it. OK, Xellos had helped also. And Zel looked sooooooo handsome!!! *insert squeal here* She was so happy. She hugged him last night, and he had hugged back. He was smiling. He was laughing. He was glad. And she was glad also! Life was beautiful! Justice always triumphed! And the world was a happy place! Hurrah! She combed her black hair and ran down to have breakfast.
*****
Gourry woke up. He smiled and brushed his long, golden hair and thought happy thoughts. Was there anything really important that he noticed yesterday? Oh yeah, the chicken had been cooked too long. With that thought in mind, he went downstairs happily to his breakfast.
*****
Lina woke up and yawned. She wanted to go back to sleep, so she tried to. Just as she was going to, though, she caught sight of the room. She immediately woke up. What in the world was Xellos doing, sleeping in a chair beside her bed? She peered at him curiously. He was smiling slightly in his sleep. He looked... kawaii. Rarely had she ever seen him look so rested and content, so happy and safe. He almost looked childish. In his hands, he gripped his new staff, the one L-sama had given him. They had forged it last night. It looked like his old staff. Same style, same wood, but a different crystal. It was a dark onyx crystal with a heart of amethyst and ruby, arranged in gold. Not that you could tell. It had been forged last night. It was a link to Chaos and had a special affinity with her. It had taken a lot of him. He had already been down on energy when he gave her his. She blushed at that. He was so considerate and kind... almost like a totally different person! She got up quietly, so as to not bother him, and stretched. She noticed she was in PJs, and promptly decided she did not want to know how she changed from her normal clothes to PJs...
Her eyes roamed to her box, that was beside her bed. She took the box and opened it up. Inside, where four talismans. One for her throat, as a clasp for a cloak, two for her wrists, and one for her waist. They looked almost the same as before, except that, these talismans were tuned into Chaos instead of Darkness. The stones in each one was just a red, but hid the heart of the crystal effectively. It had the same arrangement on the inside as Xellos's staff had. Amethyst, gold and ruby. She smiled. She took the box and went to the bathroom to change into some more presentable clothes.
*****
Xellos woke up after Lina had gone into the bathroom. He opened his eyes and looked at his surroundings. Oh yeah, he remembered! After the forging of the talismans, Xellos had dropped Lina off and then sat in a chair beside her. She was still wearing her research cloths and now, they were decorated with her new and improved talismans. She looked so peaceful when she was sleeping, 'cause that was what she was doing. She was beat from everything that happened. But he didn't want her clothes to get wrinkled like that. So he did the only thing he could, he changed her clothes for her. No, he used magic! No peeking! Honestly! After that, though, he was very tired, so he dropped into a chair and fell asleep.
Now, he was awake, and he felt very refreshed. He looked at his staff. It looked so much like his old staff. It felt like his old staff. It was nice. He had a power amplifier once more. Now, next time they cast a huge spell, Lina wouldn't be drained dry of her own energy. Speaking of which... he listened a little, and smiled when he heard Lina singing to herself in the bathroom. So, he got up and stretched. They'd be leaving tonight. So, that meant lots of preparation and instructions for Zel and Amelia and Gourry and the whole group. But first, he wanted to talk to Lina. The Lord of Nightmares had made their mission sound very serious, and dangerous. He wanted to talk to Lina a little more. They'd be too busy to do much after tonight. So he sat and waited.
Lina came out, wearing her research clothes and her talismans. She saw Xellos.
"Morning, Xellos!" she said.
"Morning, Lina!" he answered back. Silence. Xellos tried to formulate a statement in his mouth. One that would sound nice and sincere, but wouldn't make him look like a dolt.
"Hey, Lina," he said.
"Yeah?" she asked. She didn't know what to do. What are you supposed to do when you see the person you love so much, but are scared to tell him? You can't just run to him and say "I Love You!" What if it wasn't reciprocated? What if he thought her silly? She didn't know how she'd take to that, so she said nothing.
"Um... I was wondering. Let's go out to the city and have fun today!" he said. Yeah, Lina liked fun, and food... "We can eat at a restaurant and all that stuff."
"What for?" asked Lina. She so wanted to say that she would love to go with him, but she had a reputation to keep up. So, no matter how much she waned to squeal, she took a deep and calming breath. "Won't we need to tell Zel and the others about what's going on?"
"We can leave them notes." said Xellos. "Besides, after tonight, there will hardly be anymore time for fun, Lina! I invite!" Lina pretended to look thoughtful. OK, hold the pose for three seconds. Two, One...
"OK!" she said, having pretended that she wasn't sure.
"Yeah!" said Xellos. "Let go!" And so, Lina and Xellos flew out the window. Lina happy, cause she could spend more time with him. And Xellos happy, for basically the same reason. Aren't they cute? *insert sigh of happiness here*
They left a message for Zelgadis, Amelia and Gourry. Notes about what to expect next, where they would be, how to get ready. There was a surreal tone to all of this. None of them were ready to believe what the Lord of Nightmares had told them. War of the races? How? So far, only the Mazoku were involved. L-sama had carefully explained to them. If the Mazoku hierarchy falls apart, there will be a power struggle among all the Mazoku. The Ryouzoku will then take advantage of that and will attack. At this point, Lina had asked a question...
"LUNA'S GONNA BE INVOLVED!!!!????" Anyway, not necessarily, was the answer. It depends how well Lina did her job... so that served as motivation. Next, the fight between the Ryouzoku and Mazoku would erupt, and guess who would get hit? The humans of course, which meant that every mage would retaliate or hide. Whatever they did, the human casualty list would escalate like never before... and so, the world would be destroyed. That meant that Chaos would have to scrap everything she had worked at and start all over again. Something, she majorly didn't want to do. But first, L-sama had been bound by Fate and could not tell them exactly what to do, due to the wager, she had "lost" to Zelas while playing dice. Here, Lina and Xellos had sweatdropped. So, they were going to start their mission tonight. So, until then...
"I want two of these, and three of those. And can I have some of this for dessert also? Oh, and some tea for Xellos." said Lina as she stared critically at the menu. The waitress flipped the page and continued to write. "Right, Xellos?" Xellos, who was sitting across from Lina smiled.
"You know me too well." he said. "Yes, I'd like a cup of tea. Some jasmine tea would be nice."
The waitress nodded and kept on writing.
"Anything else?" she asked. She crossed her fingers, hoping for a no...
"Oh, and an extra large strawberry parfait. Extra strawberries, or else..." said Lina suspiciously. The waitress nodded and asked Xellos what he wanted.
"Um, a banana split. With extra cream, and nuts, and strawberry and peach slices. And chocolate ice cream. And a cherry." said Xellos. "For two." Lina looked surprised, and blushed when she saw his twinkling eyes.
"Um... then, uh, skip the parfait..." she said. "But, extra strawberries!" The waitress scratched out something and added more to her growing list and left.
There was an awkward silence. Lina didn't know what to do. She had no idea why she had canceled her order for strawberry parfait... well, truth be told, was because Xellos had ordered that huge banana split for the two.
"I didn't know you liked banana splits..." said Lina, tired of the silence. She was supposed to be anything but a love sick girl!!!! So how come she enjoyed it?
"Oh, Seyruun has very nice ice-cream dishes." said Xellos with a grin. "One shouldn't let such a nice opportunity go to waste. It's nice of you to share a banana split with me, Lina-chan." He grinned at her. Lina blushed and fiddled with the napkin in her lap. Their food finally came. Lina, for once, ate like a lady, so perturbed was she. Besides, there was no need to eat hurriedly. Gourry wasn't around. Xellos sipped his tea and smiled and made some small talk. All in all, it was a very pleasant lunch. The waitress cleared the plates, and brought out the dreaded banana split. Well, dreaded from Lina's point of view because she had no idea how to act. To their surprise, it was on a heart shaped platter, with little heart shaped crackers. And two spoons, with very ornate handles.
"Um... excuse me, miss?" asked Lina. She pointed at the dessert in a puzzled way.
"Oh, I'm sorry, I forgot to tell you." she said. "Today we are having a special for couples." Lina mega blushed. "All desserts are half off, and the hearts are added, on the house. Enjoy!" She smiled and left the two blushing knights.
"Oh..." said Lina. "I had no idea..." She looked at her lap. Xellos was shocked. Ordering it for two was just a joke, and he was surprised when Lina actually said yes... and now... L-sama was laughing her butt off, he knew.
"Let's eat then!" he said, jovially. "Don't let this ice-cream go to waste!" He took up a spoon and took a bite. Lina smiled shyly and also took a bite. And another.
"Wow! This is really good!" she said happily. She reached for a strawberry, but they were on Xellos's side.
"Here, I'll give you one." he said and took it into his spoon. He spoon-fed Lina the strawberry, and was surprised at the expression of satisfaction on her face.
"Yummy." she said. With a laugh, Xellos spoon-fed her some more. Lina was too happy to care at the present moment. They quickly finished the banana split. Xellos, Lina discovered, really liked peach slices. He moved over so that he sat beside her.
"You like fruit?" she asked. Somehow, the thought had never crossed her mind.
"Yeah." said Xellos as he took a bite of the peach slice. "It's my favorite!"
"I never thought of you having a favorite fruit." she said.
"I bet you like strawberries, don't you?" he asked. "And yeah, I really like peach! I think it's the best fruit in the world!"
"Oh yeah?" challenged Lina. "I think that strawberries are the best!"
"Ne, Lina-chan. You're wrong." said Xellos bluntly as he waved his fork in the air. "Peaches are crisp. They have a mellow flavor, yet are very juicy and succulent."
"Strawberries are soft, delicious, bursting with flavor." said Lina. "It's active! In motion! Forget mellow. These burst with flavor!"
"Peaches are bigger, and funner to eat." said Xellos. "It's a soft taste, that catches you by surprise when the flavor hits."
"Strawberries are dripping with flavor." said Lina. She picked one up. "They are small and easy to eat. Perfect for munching on! No wasting time on waiting for the flavor to come. Small bites have just as much juice as big ones." She slowly bit her strawberry, savoring the juice.
"Peaches are nice and big." said Xellos, not quite ready to loose to Lina. "Strawberries are too violent. Peaches are secretive and suave. Like me!" He took a bite out of a peach.
"Well, strawberries are anything but passive! It's like an explosion of exotic tastes. Like me!" she stuck her tongue out at him. He did too, before he leaned forward and gave her a tender kiss, savoring her lips. Lina was surprised and didn't respond. He broke the kiss and smiled at her.
"You're right." he said slyly. "Exotic. A worthwhile experience. Strawberries aren't that bad, I guess." Lina flushed dark red as she looked at him. She remembered the kiss from a few days ago, in the tree. She had not said a thing about it, and he, thankfully, had not brought it up. She hadn't been ready to deal with it. Then, there was the other day, the small kiss she gave him. His teasing smile. Something she wasn't quite ready to deal with yet either.
She had been surprised. More than surprised. She hadn't felt so, so, playful like yesterday in a long time. They really had to talk, which was what they were doing. So, you should start the conversation in the right mood, right? So, she softly brought his head down to hers and kissed him softly, on the lips. No more playing, they were going to talk, right now! But after the kiss. Xellos kissed her back softly. She broke it and looked at Xellos shyly.
[We have to talk.] she thought to him.
[Understood.] he said. He took her hand and lead her out of the restaurant, after paying the bill.
They walked around town, not really saying anything. Both were too lost in their thoughts to realize that they were still holding hands. Finally, Lina led him to a small park. They found a small secluded bench and sat there, still holding hands.
"So, how do we start this?" asked Lina, not quite sure how to go about starting The Talk.
"How about, I love you Lina, more than I ever thought would be possible?" asked Xellos as he looked into Lina's eyes. She blushed lightly and looked away. Xellos waited for a response. It had taken him a lot to go out and say it like that, so bluntly, with out any warning. He had to tell her. He was ready to accept defeat, he told himself, although the longer Lina took to answer, the more his heart felt like it would break. "Or is that not what you were expecting?"
Lina drew her hand away from his hold. Strangely, he let go. His eyes darkened as he stared at the ground, not looking at her. He knew it would hurt. Leaving yourself open like this was bound to have its consequences. That's why he had stopped having feelings. But, this hurt more than he thought it would. He felt something build up in his eyes.
Lina could feel him getting depressed at her lack of emotion. The truth was, she still couldn't believe it. Xellos, in love with her? No way. Couldn't be. She was dreaming. He couldn't love her, could he? Ever since she had met him, he had captivated her interest. His personality was so cool, so calm and controlled, but hidden behind that cool exterior, was a warm person she had never thought she'd find. So, how do you respond when something like this happens? She turned to look at him, to tell him something, but to her surprise, found that he had vanished. She felt a message coming in.
[Gomen ne, Lina san.] said the voice. [I won't anymore.] Then his touch disappeared. She tried to blink away the tears, but they came down anyway. She clenched her fists. She had been such a fool, thinking she could handle this. She had wanted to talk, she had wanted to know how he felt. Now she knew. She was a total idiot thinking she could handle this. She was a total idiot, thinking she could hide her feelings. She stifled a sob as she let the tears fall, unheeded, down her cheeks.
'Idiot!' he thought to himself. 'Why? Why did I tell her that?' Xellos paced around in his private pocket dimension on the Astral Plane. Here, he didn't worry about having to keep pretenses up. The building up in his eyes finally became too much, and tears leaked from his eyes. He threw himself down on his bed. 'Why? I should have kept silent. But I thought...' He had thought, dared to hope,... Hope... Why even bother? Why even hope? There was a reason Zelas had told him to lock his feelings up. Hope more often than not led to disappointment. This wasn't one of those silly romance novels that Amelia read during her free time, about love triumphing, about hope, not leading to disappointment, but to joy. What was he thinking? This was life, not a sappy story. Hope was nothing. Lina had just proved it to him. He rolled over and stared at the ceiling. He couldn't. He couldn't get her out of his mind. How she laughed, how she moved, how her eyes flashed, how her cheeks had turned red after their kiss. He had thought, hoped, there was the silly word again. Hoped that Lina also felt something for him. How she had looked at him, how she had smiled at him. He had thought... But no, Lina wasn't like that. He knew her. In all the times they had traveled together, Lina never was like that. He had let his feelings control his actions.
'I'm supposed to be cool, controlled, stoic...' he thought to himself. But he wasn't. He was tired of pretending. He had hoped. Hoped, hoped, hoped, hoped and looked like an idiot. Hope wasn't as great as people made it seem. It was, after all, a four letter word. He carefully put himself together again. He wasn't a Mazoku anymore. He didn't have total control of his feelings. So, he slowly put himself together. He was Xellos. Ex-Mazoku. Knight of Chaos, with Lina... Everything, absolutely every part of himself revolved around Lina. She was his everything. The only one who trusted him. The only one who cared. But not the way he wished. Hadn't Chaos told him that she was the one? Had he just ruined his chance of being with her? He felt his tears begin once more. He finally let exhaustion take over his body and fell asleep, not hearing the call Lina gave him three minutes later.
Lina sighed. He couldn't hear her, wherever he was. She had given up hours ago. The sky was dark. She walked back to the palace dejectedly. She'd tell Amelia and the others she and Xellos would leave tonight. Tell her a few instructions, watch out for Mazoku attacks and Ryouzoku attacks and from the others. She walked in, and ran into Zelgadis.
"Lina! You're back!" he smiled and hugged her. Lina was surprised that had come over Zel. "I was just about to go out and look for you!" Lina looked at him.
"You look great, Zel!" she said tiredly. "See, I told you your cure was out there somewhere." Zel looked at her.
"I can still do magic, I still have my hearing,..." he looked at him, his face all smiles. "Thank you so much, Lina."
"You shouldn't thank me, Zelgadis." she said slowly. "Thank Xellos. He is the one who worded the spell. He could have taken your magic away also, you know. He was the one to leave you as you were, except for stone skin." Zel was speechless. It was Xellos, who had given him his magic.
"I'll thank him when I see him." said Zel. "Speaking of which, where is the fruitcake?" Lina sniffled. She struggled to hold back her tears, but was too tired. She broke and hugged him hard, her ears soaking his tan shirt. He hesitantly hugged her back, trying to calm her down.
"I don't know where he is..." she sobbed.
"What's wrong, Lina?" asked Zel, worried to death. "Did he do something to you? Because if he did... I swear I'll..." It was to this scene that Xellos arrived.
His eyes took in Lina, hugging Zel, sobbing her eyes out. His heart ached when he realized that he was the reason for those tears. He took in Zel hugging her, trying to calm her down. His eyes closed in pain. He nodded to the two of them and vanished, although Lina didn't notice.
"Lina? Are you OK?" he asked. "The fruitcake just came by..." Lina looked up, her eyes hopeful.
"Xellos? Where is he?" she asked. She had to talk to him, so she whipped her head around, seeing if she could spot him.
"He came in, saw us and left." said Zelgadis. He took Lina by the shoulders. "Lina, what's wrong?" Lina's eyes dropped. He probably saw them hugging, and now, he had vanished once more. Her shoulders slumped.
"I'll be fine," she said softly. She took his hands away from her shoulders and left to go to her room. "Tell the others that Xellos and I have a mission tonight. Don't know when we'll be back. Be on guard for any attacks." She said this with out looking back.
That night, L-sama called both of them. Xellos had his eyes closed, his face stoic, not smiling nor frowning. He looked like the Mazoku he used to be. Lina looked dejected. Her eyes looked tired.
"Your mission is to find the Scroll of Albuntra, containing the last writings of the sage Albuntra. The call number is 548.3 A.S45, Lina, OK?" said the Lord of Nightmares. "I'm splitting you up so that you can cover more territory. Be on guard for any of Zelas's men. When you find it, find each other and then use the scroll to come back." The two nodded. "Good luck. May the Chaotic Force be with you!" The two raised their eyebrows. She giggled.
"Well, I'm trying to get a rise out of you two! Look happy! You'll do fine!" she said. "Please? Please smile for me?" The two gave her a weak smile. "Yeah!" A portal opened and the two stepped through the portal, one after another.
L-sama frowned. Something had happened today. Why were they so sad? They hadn't talked or looked at each other ever since she called them. They looked so sad..., it made her want to cry.
Author's notes...
OK, I admit it, I'm a sucker for waff... but I love angst and tragedies just as much!!! Sorry I ended on a depressing note. Life has caught up with me, and it's very stupid at the present moment (keeping my language clean ^^)... Anyway! I'm happy, cause school is almost out! (That's always a cause for celebration!) I have to take two final exams this week, Chemistry and Physics. I'm so glad I don't have to take the Pre- Calculus final...^^ Anyway, hope you enjoyed the story. Take care, all of ya! Keep your chin up and don't give up! (That's my encouraging thing for the day...)
As usual, Read and Review, Comment and Criticize, and yeah... all that stuff. Do something so I know you're reading this! =^^= Thanks to all my loyal reviewers! You guys are awesome!!!!!!!!!
PS... I loooooooooooove strawberries and peaches. I honestly think they do mix, but that will be later...^^
Hotaru
=^.^=
Quotes...
"Islam is a religion in which God requires you to send your son to die for him. Christianity is a faith in which God sends his son to die for you." -John Ashcroft
"The pen is mightier than the sword, especially if it's sharp, pointy and full of ink!" -Me
"Times are bad. Children no longer obey their parents, and everyone is writing a book."
-Marcus Tullius Cicero
And a personal favorite...
"¿Que is poesia? dices mientras clavas
en mi pupila to pupila azul;
¿Que es poesia? y tu me lo preguntas?
Poesia... eres tu."
-Gustavo Adolfo Becquer