Slayers: To the End...
By the Sneaky Chibi Otaku Geek
Disclaimer... You know, after a while, one tires of writing the same silly disclaimer, over and over and over and over and over and over... yeah... so I'll try to think of something new and interesting and witty.... *sits and waits... * It's not coming... Well, Slayers doesn't belong to me. The characters are borrowed from their wonderful creators and no monetary gain/profit is meant by publishing this little blurb of a story. (sorry, my muse failed me.... ^^ )
Chapter 16 Wedding Plans and Demon Hunters...
L-sama looked at them and smiled. She was so happy!!!! Things were going along perfectly! But something made her frown. Well, that was something she hadn't expected. Not that her Knights couldn't handle it, but it did put a new twist into the game.
*****
Lina woke up with a smile on her face. And a happy Lina was a good thing, just in case one didn't know Lina too well. And why was Lina happy? Because, last night, and for the past few nights, the man of her dreams had come to her window, and they had talked, and they had kissed and they had hugged, and passed a wonderful time together. She sat up and hugged her pillow, remembering last night. Sometimes, they went to the roof of the palace, and just sat and watched the stars. Of course, when she finally found a constellation, she turned to find a Xellos half asleep, or making a face at her. Of course, she bopped him on the head to wake him up, and he would grin at her and ruffle her hair. Or he would kiss her. He loved it when she hit him like that, she knew. He called them 'his little love taps', whenever he was slightly tired and in a weird mood. She personally thought it was cute. She could beat him up and not worry about him getting too hurt. *insert wicked smile in here* They didn't do too much talking about themselves though. Business was more important for the present moment. Albuntra was going to finish the last prophecy today. She had told him that she would finish the writing today, and then make a copy of it. Then, they could get home, and fix up the problem, and then focus on their bet. And decide when the wedding would be and who to invite, and whether to have a small wedding or a huge wedding... Lina giggled. And looked at herself amazed. She stared at the mirror in her room. Her eyes were twinkling, and her cheeks were flushed. Who would have know that this was how an excited and love-sick Lina would be? She had never imagined herself as the type of person who would fall head over heels in love with one of the strongest ex-Mazoku around. Well, she never thought she'd become Chaos Knight either... Life was so full of quirks... but she liked it! She pirouetted in her room as she held her pillow, her red hair twisting behind her. Her jubilation was interrupted by a knock on the room. She threw on a robe and opened the door.
"Yes?" she asked to the servant in a kind manner.
"Um... a message from your father the king, Princess Lina..." she said shyly. She handed her a message with the royal crest imbedded on a seal of wax.
"Thank you!" she said. Even the servants were nicer to her, ever since they had noticed the change that had come over their 'beloved' Princess. Lina closed the door and broke the seal to read the message.
To my daughter, Princess Lina of Urdia: Greetings from his highness, King Marduk and his wife, her highness, Queen Meesha. We would enjoy your presence today for breakfast. Do come by. Sincerely, your parents
'Great', she thought. 'Now I have to meet my so called parents... What in the world am I going to do?' She dressed up and looked at herself in the mirror, crossed her fingers and went out the door. A servant was there and led her to her parents room and left. Lina took a deep breath, composed herself and entered the room.
*****
Xellos was happy. He always looked happy, but today, he was really, truly happy. How wonderful! He watched the sun rise. Having the watch from 2 in the morning till wake up time was peaceful. Especially since no one was awake except him. That gave him a chance to put up a shield around camp and then fly to Lina for a little visit. Thinking about Lina... the dawn's red and orange hues reminded him of Lina's hair, cascading down her back in perfect waves. Gosh, was it just him, or was he getting poetic? Nah, just his imagination. Had he wanted to be poetic, he would have said... How beauteous the hues of the rising morn do but enhance the myriad of gold and ruby that cascaded down his love's slim back.... or something about the lines. Nope, he wasn't poetic at all. Thinking of Lina made him so happy. In a way, he was glad he wasn't a Mazoku, or else, he would have died from his own feelings. His eyes were half open as he took in the silence and peace of the camp. Time to play his little pranks! He had been to nice and good for the past few days. Besides, Misty-san was really driving him crazy with her unending, eternal seeming, care and concern. And the fact that everyone knew that he called her 'sugar bunny' wasn't funny.
Seriously, though, he had to think of something. He didn't want them to try and kill the Princess. They'd probably be back with fire burns and lower the morale of the group, and he couldn't have that. So, he had to come up with a reasonable excuse for not killing Lina. And Misty-san had been badgering about why he hadn't killed her. Oh well, he'd think of something. After all, he was the Trickster Priest. He was so into his thoughts he didn't notice Misty coming up to him.
"Boo!" she said. He didn't jump. After the millions of years he had lived, fine and precise body control was easy. "Oh, you're impossible to scare!"
"That's because I know you." he said calmly, hoping she'd go away. No such luck.
"Xellos, hon," she said softly as she leaned against him. Xellos controlled himself and didn't bash her on the head with his staff. "Why didn't you kill the Princess?" she asked for the millionth time.
"I told you." he said. "The Princess wasn't there."
"But why did you stay away so long??" she asked. "I stayed up so late, waiting for you!"
"Sore wa himitsu desu!" he said as he shook his finger at her. Which meant that he freed his captive arm! Victory!
"Oh, Xellos... you're so funny!" she gushed. "You look so cute like that!!!" Xellos sweat dropped.
"Um... how about starting the breakfast fire?" he asked her. Hopefully she'd go away.
"Sure!" she said. "But, after breakfast, I'll come for you and we'll spend some quality time together, 'K? These past few days, you've been so distant!" She kissed his cheek and skipped off. Two skips and a half later, she tripped and fell down. She got up quickly. "Jeje... sorry!" She smiled at him and went to start breakfast.
Xellos shuddered. Quality time.... that was scary. It was weird. Normally, you imagine some rebel's female sidekick to look lean and fit and skilled. She had the looks down... But a sidekick was also supposed to be, he didn't know... good at archery. Know survival skills. Know how to track and evade. Be able to blend into the woods. Unfortunately, Misty didn't have that part down. She was a bit like Amelia in that way. Sort of klutzy, and the grace of a hippopotamus on ice. Almost as if she were always off balance the whole time. And she moved her butt around too much for his liking. The only butt he ever wanted to admire was Lina-chan's.... of course, she'd fireball him for such a thought. Hey, that wasn't so bad after all!!! Delicious! Just thinking about it made him shiver with delight. Well, no time for pranks now, unless he did them by magic. For some reason, though, the people here had this thing against magic. Well, perhaps later. When everyone was sleeping or something. Besides, he was still thinking about his darling Lina-chan. Then a thought struck him. He still had to get Lina an engagement ring! How silly of him to have forgotten all about it! And poor Lina, she probably had wanted one, and he had forgotten all about it. Oh well, he'd get one for her for tonight.
*****
Lina entered the room and saw her 'parents' at the end of the room. She was about to walk up when she felt a hand restraining her.
"What?" she asked the guard.
"I have to present you." said the guard. Then in a loud voice, he spoke.
"Her highness, Princess Lina." Lina winced at the loudness of his voice. "You can go now." he whispered to her.
"Thanks!" she whispered. And she walked to them. As she neared, she saw first her 'father.' He looked so much like Melf. It took a lot of self control to not change her expression. Why did the king look so much like Melf? But this Melf had red hair. Oh well, the Princess's hair had to come from somewhere. Her mother... she gasped inwardly. Her eyes widened slightly, and that was all her body would show. Inwardly, though...
'AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!' she thought to herself. Well, screamed was more like it. 'She looks just like Luna-oneechan!!!!!!!!!!!!' Had she had it her way, she would have bolted from the room, hidden under the red carpet she was walking on. Anything but walk up to her. It was amazing just how alike they looked. The queen had purple hair with bangs that covered her eyes. And she had a small, spooky smile. And she could so imagine the Queen dressed as a waitress. She curtsied to them.
"Oh Lina!" said the Melf look alike. "You look very nice today!"
"Lina." said the Queen. Lina cringed. Luna would use that exact voice whenever she was in trouble.
"Good morning, mother and father." she said softly, trying to control her trembling voice.
"Let's eat." said the Queen. Lina couldn't help but notice. The Queen was just as busty as her sister was. And she should know. She charged tickets to all the guys to see her sis bathing... And she had sold pictures also. They walked to a huge table. They sat on one end, and she sat on the other. Breakfast was silent, since... well, it was a little hard to talk when you are trying to be heard by someone a few eight meters away without screaming your lungs out. Lina tried to behave, and ate as ladylike as she could. By the end of the meal, she had almost spilled her glass of juice twice, but her quick reflexes had saved her. She watched her parents carefully. She was sure that they were talking about her. And how out of it she was. And how different she acted. And how she almost spilled her juice. And many small things.
But amazingly, nothing! Luna's twin didn't speak to her, and the King was silent. After breakfast, though...
"Lina, I would speak with you privately." said the king.
"Take care, Lina." said the Queen. "And remember, mind your manners. Spilling juice over yourself is not what you want to do to please your guests."
Lina looked up, gave her a weak smile and then curtsied to her before following her father. Fortunately, she hadn't fallen over while curtsying. They entered a side room.
"Sit down, Lina," said the king. She did. "Well, Lina, I'll be frank with you. You're old enough to take on new responsibilities, but you are still a little wild. Now, don't interrupt." Lina didn't say a thing. She wasn't planning on interrupting, truth be told. It'd be nice if someone told her how she usually acted.
"I know you like to be independent and all that stuff Lina, but lets face it. Your actions are going to have severe consequences." said the King.
"But what have I done?" she asked innocently. The king sighed.
"Lina, don't pretend. I know you don't like me or your mother. I understand. I hated my parents at your age. It was nice of you to remember it was your mother's birthday today and acted politely without screaming at us." Lina was stunned. Wow, she was supposed to hate her parents. So, had she screamed and run away, she would have been acting correctly. Wow...
"Anyway... your mother and I have thought about this carefully." said the King. "You are more than ready, and we hope that this good streak of yours will continue. But you will need help to keep you on the road. So,..."
"What did you decide for me?" she asked semi-crossly. According to her dad, she wasn't supposed to be a demure maiden.
"Well, we decided, since you are old enough and more than ready... well. You'll be married. Tomorrow. To the Prince of Tethu, Kimun." said the King.
"WHAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!????????????????????????????" She shouted. "NO WAY I'M GETTING MARRIED TO SOME UNKNOWN GUY!!!!!!!!"
"Lina, this is for your own good, please understand." said the king tiredly.
"I DON'T THINK SO!" said Lina. She quieted down a bit. "I am not planning on getting married. NO way! Not to some weird guy I've never met! I don't even know if we have the same tastes!"
"Oh, that's all your worried about?" he asked. "Don't worry dear! He's the type of guy you like. Easy to trick and gullible." Lina sweat dropped. The more she learned about the Princess she was supposed to be, the more she decided that she utterly disliked her.
"But I don't want to get married to someone I've never seen! I set very high standards, you know!" she said, trying to think of any excuse she could use.
"He's already in love with you, Lina. He's heard all about you, and he still wants to marry you. Besides, he's filthy rich! You always wanted to marry a rich, old guy. Didn't you tell us that you preferred to marry some old geezer just to get his money and watch him die?"
"When do I have to leave?" she asked, trying to change the subject.
"Um, after lunch!" he said. Lina's jaw dropped. "Now, before you say you won't have time to pack or anything like that, don't worry. At this moment, the servants are packing your stuff for you."
"I don't want to leave today!!!!" she said.
"But hon, the trip takes almost a day. And the wedding has been planned at the Tethu palace! I'm sure you'll like it. I told Kimun all the dishes you like and what colors you like."
"Did you tell him that I'll probably stab him in the stomach with a fork if he even touches me?" she asked crossly.
"Now, now, now, Lina..." he said. "No need to get so uptight about it. It'll work out wonderfully, I'm sure!"
"I don't want to get married!" she said. She told herself that she shouldn't fireball her father. It was probably against the rules. She could see it somewhere. 'Thou shalt not Fireball your father or mother when dealing with their idiotic ideas.'
"Look, Lina. The matter is closed and sealed." said the King. "You are leaving for Tethu after lunch, and that is that!" He left the room. Lina was left looking at the closed door.
"I don't want to get married to the ole geezer," she whispered. She left the room, wiping her eyes. Of all the awful things that had to happen... she went into her old room. It was pretty much empty. What in the world was she going to do?
'OK, Lina' she thought to herself. 'Shape up. You're not gonna get married. But the real princess won't want to either. So, find a way to fix it up. Now, tonight, Albuntra was supposed to finish the scroll. I can't pick it up. I could run away from all of this... But Lina Inverse doesn't run away!'
She found a piece of paper and briefly wrote a note explaining that she couldn't come by tonight to do the scroll. That got her thinking again.
"Albuntra will be broken hearted..." she said softly. And as much as she didn't like the princess, she did have her good points. To be willing to fall in love with a commoner when she herself was so rich shouldn't be taken lightly. So... what to do? Her mind thought furiously.
*****
Breakfast was over, and his doom was coming. Well, something like that. He was presently 'hiding', so that Misty couldn't find him. He was doing all sorts of odd jobs. He volunteered to do dishes, because they had to be taken to a faraway creek with the cook to wash. And the cook's company was better than Misty's. But someone was doing dishes already. So, he decided to go scout ahead. So, here he was, looking carefully about him. Well, this was a little boring, so he floated around. It was much more efficient. It made less noise, and didn't leave tracks. Suddenly he felt a presence near him, and he landed on the ground quickly. He turned around saw Misty staring at him with wide eyes.
"Oh, hi Misty!" he said. "I see you finished breakfast, right? Was it good?"
"Um.. Xell, hon... were you flying?" she asked, her eyes wide and open, full of an unknown feeling.
"Well, what do you consider flying?" asked Xellos agreeably. He was smiling happily and didn't look worried at all.
"Well, none of your feet were on the ground." said Misty.
"Like this?" asked Xellos. He jumped up and sat on a tree branch.
"No, you weren't on a tree branch." said Misty. "Oh, Xellos. Stop teasing me! You were like, floating around!"
"Or like this?" asked Xellos. He jumped down and started to walk on his hands. "My feet aren't on the ground either."
"Xellos... you can tell me!" she said. "You're learning magic, right?"
"Sore wa himitsu desu!" said Xellos. He was walking in circles around her. He finally stopped.
"You were flying! Or at least, floating!" said Misty. "Like this!" This time, she began to float. "Right?"
Xellos looked at her, surprised.
"You know magic?" he asked.
"Of course, silly." said Misty as she floated around him. "How else could I fly? I can fly just like you!" Her eyes narrowed.
"So, what are you doing, practicing forbidden arts?" asked Xellos.
"Simple, Xellos!" she said coyly. "I'm a demon hunter! I need to know magic. How else would I know who was human and who wasn't?" She was practically grinning now.
"How fun!" said Xellos. "Found any yet?" He shifted his posture slightly.
"Well, I have a lead or two. Heard someone in our group was a demon of sorts." she said. "A very powerful demon, they told me."
"So, have you found this demon of yours yet?" asked Xellos calmly.
"I might have." said Misty. "Want to hear about this demon? Since you know magic, we can hunt together."
"I don't know if I'd be any good." said Xellos. "I'd probably get in your way."
"I'm sure you'd be fine." she said. "I'm sure you'd do better than just fine..., wouldn't you, Xellos?"
"Maybe." said Xellos. "So, tell me what did you want to talk about after breakfast?" Misty blinked at the change of topic and dropped on the ground.
"Oh, just wanted to spend time with you." she said. She latched on to his arm and put her head against his shoulder. "I love spending time with you. Just that recently, you haven't had much time. And well, I'm slightly busy hunting. So, tell me... what about you?"
"Um... nothing much..." said Xellos as he rubbed the back of his head with his free, left hand.
"You're always gone, it seems like." said Misty as she stared adoringly at him. "Like the night before last, I felt something strange and I woke up, thinking it was the demon. But all I found was nothing. And you had vanished. I couldn't find you anywhere. I thought the demon had taken you or something."
"Last night?" asked Xellos. "That's weird."
"Well... what have you been doing, sneaking around at night?" she asked.
"Me? Here and there." he said simply. "Watch gets boring at night."
"Well, then. That's why I'm here!" she said. She giggled and dragged him. "Come on! Let's look around!" So, for a while, Misty ran and dragged him behind her.
"You know something, Xellos?" she said. They had stopped for a while, and were resting.
"What?" asked Xellos. He was still wary about her. Either she was schizophrenic, had mood swings... or was planning something.
"I was told by this guy,... with really cool teal eyes... that I'd find the demon in this group." she said.
"Oh... what was his name?" he asked.
"Mel something..." she said. "Anyway,... he told me something really wild... He told me the demon was you!" She burst out laughing. "Can you believe that???? You, a demon? I told him you were an assassin, but not a demon. Just because you were a rebel leader and all that, he thought you were a demon!"
"How wild is that..." said Xellos. "So, what did this guy tell you?"
"He said that you were the most powerful demon I'd find here. I just laughed at him. You aren't one, I told him. And he just looked at me and told me to beware! I thought it was a riot!" She continued to laugh.
"Well, so... when did you meet this guy?" he asked. Something was fishy.
"Oh, don't be jealous!" she said jokingly. "I saw him about a week and a half ago. And then, he sort of walked away! I almost thought he was a demon too! But I couldn't feel an aura against him."
"Oh..." said Xellos. Of course, if Misty couldn't tell that he wasn't exactly human... well, how was she supposed to tell if someone else wasn't exactly human either. "So, do you think I'm a demon, Misty-san?"
"NO!!! Of course not!" she said. "Someone as friendly and as smart and as sly as you couldn't be a demon." Xellos sighed inwardly. Her description sounded a lot like how he used to be before turning into Chaos Knight. They spent the rest of the afternoon talking. Xellos decided, since she was nice enough to tell him about this demon, he'd pretend to be nice to her. She deserved that much.
That night, he took the fifth watch, around midnight to three in the morning. When it was his turn, he once again shielded the area and left off to fly and find Lina. She had to know that someone was after them. And a pair of eyes watched him fly into the moon less night.
He reached the castle and flew up to Lina's window. Odd, it was dark, and the window was closed. Oh well, no problem for him. He teleported inside the room. To his surprise, he found the room empty. Well, not empty. The bed was still there, but the covers were gone, and the closet was empty. Where in the world was Lina? Was she playing a trick on him? They had to get back soon, because danger was approaching, he could feel it. He turned around and walked around the room, trying to find clues to Lina's whereabouts. His eyes picked up a glimmer near the window. It was a small note, tied up with a long strand of ruby red hair. He would have missed it, had the moonlight not shone on it. Wait, the moon wasn't out tonight. His eyes narrowed as he saw a pair of eyes stare at him. He grabbed the note and dodged the oncoming fireball launched at him. It broke through the window and the fire started on the closet, which was made out of wood.
"You won't find her." said a voice, right before another fireball was sent in after him. His staff appeared in his hands and he redirected the fireball back at the eyes. The eyes widened and then vanished right before the fireball hit it. Xellos flew out the room, through a water based attack into the room to douse the fire and searched for the guy who just attacked him. There was no magical aura near him. Whoever it had been, he had escaped. He noticed that people were running to see what had happened. Well, he couldn't stay around then. Making sure he had the note, he left.
When he was sure nobody was around, he opened the note up. He was up in a tree, close to the camp, in case Misty once more noted his absence. This time though, he was using his magic to camouflage his aura and himself. He opened the note. It was written in a messy handwriting, one that Xellos easily recognized as Lina's.
Xellos, Stupid parents of the princess sent me off to marry a stupid old geezer prince in Tethu. So, couldn't pick up the scroll. Wrote a note to Albuntra to tell him that I had to leave and that he had to put the scroll together. Also told him I was sending a messenger to pick up the scroll. Password: Sore wa himitsu desu. Stop laughing! I know you're laughing. I told him you'd be there by one in the morn till three. Find me tomorrow. Tirla
There was a map drawn. Hm.. he had to go find Albuntra now, before they got to him also. So, he followed the map's instructions and quickly found the house.
He knocked on the door. Who in the world would be up at this time anyway?
"Who's there?" asked a voice.
"Princess Lina sent me." he said quietly.
"Not good enough." said the voice. "I need proof. What's the password?"
"Sore wa himitsu desu." said Xellos quietly. The door opened and a head peeked out, looked about wildly and then pulled him in.
"So..." said Albuntra, taking in the purple hair, the purple eyes, the purple trimmed cloak... "You like purple?"
"Um... yeah." said Xellos. "Can I have the scroll now?"
"No." said Albuntra, his eyes staring at him. "How do I know you are the one the Princess sent? Take a seat. You're number 4." He pointed at a row of chairs, with a guy on each chair. Xellos sat down in the last chair.
"Well, so why are you here?" he asked the guy next to him.
"I'm here to pick up the scroll, impostor." said Guy #3. How did Xellos know that one was Guy #3? Well, he had a sticker on him that said #3.
"Here's yours." said Albuntra. He stuck a sticker on Xellos that said #4. Xellos stared at him and then at the others. #1 had black hair, and black eyes. Black because he looked like someone knocked him out. #2 also had black eyes, but brown hair. He looked like he had been in a scuffle also. #3 had green eyes and brown hair.
"OK,..." said Albuntra. "Pay attention, all of you. I don't know who the real guy is, but it's one of you. It's after three, so, one of you must be it. I have the scroll, hidden in a lock that the Princess did for me to protect the scroll. Now, I will ask each of you what your relation to the Princess is and what your proof is. You, #1, can start. And no funny moves. I may look a little amateurish, but I'm a sage, and know exactly how to turn each of you into a little frog for lunch tomorrow." He sat down and #1 stood up.
"My name is Hakim. I am Princess Lina's servant in the castle." said #1. "I have served under his Highness King Marduk and his wife, her highness, Queen Meesha for 12 years. Here are my papers." He handed the papers to Albuntra and sat down. #2 stood up.
"I am Jobet." he said. "I am Princess Lina's teacher in martial arts. Here's my paper." He also sat down, after giving the paper to Albuntra.
"My name is Maverick." said #3. "I am her personal cook. I know her favorite dishes." He also took out his papers. Xellos gulped. What the heck was he supposed to say. He couldn't quite say, I'm Xellos, the Trickster Priest... AND he couldn't say he was a Chaos Knight along with Lina... so, what to say?
AUTHOR'S NOTES... Jajajajajaja!!!!!!!! I left you all on a dreaded.... *drumroll* .... cliffhanger!!!!!!! *insert evil laugh here* OK, anyway, what do you think? I liked this chapter! Did you catch all the twists and turns I put in here... I tried to write something that was halfway predictable, but then tried to give it my own twisted turn to it! What do you think of my efforts? Did it work? Can you tell that I rebel against normalcy? (well, only a bit...) Anyway, I'm glad you guys are reading this blurb... you guys make me so happy! Thanks for being the awesome readers you all are! Anyway, thanks for the reviews, and remember, keep em coming!!!! Please R and R and C and C... criticisms are EXTREMELY WELCOME, so if you have any, fire away! Yeah, all that. Thanks for reading, and have a wonderful day!!! Have fun!
Take care!
Hotaru Kimiko Lai
Disclaimer... You know, after a while, one tires of writing the same silly disclaimer, over and over and over and over and over and over... yeah... so I'll try to think of something new and interesting and witty.... *sits and waits... * It's not coming... Well, Slayers doesn't belong to me. The characters are borrowed from their wonderful creators and no monetary gain/profit is meant by publishing this little blurb of a story. (sorry, my muse failed me.... ^^ )
Chapter 16 Wedding Plans and Demon Hunters...
L-sama looked at them and smiled. She was so happy!!!! Things were going along perfectly! But something made her frown. Well, that was something she hadn't expected. Not that her Knights couldn't handle it, but it did put a new twist into the game.
*****
Lina woke up with a smile on her face. And a happy Lina was a good thing, just in case one didn't know Lina too well. And why was Lina happy? Because, last night, and for the past few nights, the man of her dreams had come to her window, and they had talked, and they had kissed and they had hugged, and passed a wonderful time together. She sat up and hugged her pillow, remembering last night. Sometimes, they went to the roof of the palace, and just sat and watched the stars. Of course, when she finally found a constellation, she turned to find a Xellos half asleep, or making a face at her. Of course, she bopped him on the head to wake him up, and he would grin at her and ruffle her hair. Or he would kiss her. He loved it when she hit him like that, she knew. He called them 'his little love taps', whenever he was slightly tired and in a weird mood. She personally thought it was cute. She could beat him up and not worry about him getting too hurt. *insert wicked smile in here* They didn't do too much talking about themselves though. Business was more important for the present moment. Albuntra was going to finish the last prophecy today. She had told him that she would finish the writing today, and then make a copy of it. Then, they could get home, and fix up the problem, and then focus on their bet. And decide when the wedding would be and who to invite, and whether to have a small wedding or a huge wedding... Lina giggled. And looked at herself amazed. She stared at the mirror in her room. Her eyes were twinkling, and her cheeks were flushed. Who would have know that this was how an excited and love-sick Lina would be? She had never imagined herself as the type of person who would fall head over heels in love with one of the strongest ex-Mazoku around. Well, she never thought she'd become Chaos Knight either... Life was so full of quirks... but she liked it! She pirouetted in her room as she held her pillow, her red hair twisting behind her. Her jubilation was interrupted by a knock on the room. She threw on a robe and opened the door.
"Yes?" she asked to the servant in a kind manner.
"Um... a message from your father the king, Princess Lina..." she said shyly. She handed her a message with the royal crest imbedded on a seal of wax.
"Thank you!" she said. Even the servants were nicer to her, ever since they had noticed the change that had come over their 'beloved' Princess. Lina closed the door and broke the seal to read the message.
To my daughter, Princess Lina of Urdia: Greetings from his highness, King Marduk and his wife, her highness, Queen Meesha. We would enjoy your presence today for breakfast. Do come by. Sincerely, your parents
'Great', she thought. 'Now I have to meet my so called parents... What in the world am I going to do?' She dressed up and looked at herself in the mirror, crossed her fingers and went out the door. A servant was there and led her to her parents room and left. Lina took a deep breath, composed herself and entered the room.
*****
Xellos was happy. He always looked happy, but today, he was really, truly happy. How wonderful! He watched the sun rise. Having the watch from 2 in the morning till wake up time was peaceful. Especially since no one was awake except him. That gave him a chance to put up a shield around camp and then fly to Lina for a little visit. Thinking about Lina... the dawn's red and orange hues reminded him of Lina's hair, cascading down her back in perfect waves. Gosh, was it just him, or was he getting poetic? Nah, just his imagination. Had he wanted to be poetic, he would have said... How beauteous the hues of the rising morn do but enhance the myriad of gold and ruby that cascaded down his love's slim back.... or something about the lines. Nope, he wasn't poetic at all. Thinking of Lina made him so happy. In a way, he was glad he wasn't a Mazoku, or else, he would have died from his own feelings. His eyes were half open as he took in the silence and peace of the camp. Time to play his little pranks! He had been to nice and good for the past few days. Besides, Misty-san was really driving him crazy with her unending, eternal seeming, care and concern. And the fact that everyone knew that he called her 'sugar bunny' wasn't funny.
Seriously, though, he had to think of something. He didn't want them to try and kill the Princess. They'd probably be back with fire burns and lower the morale of the group, and he couldn't have that. So, he had to come up with a reasonable excuse for not killing Lina. And Misty-san had been badgering about why he hadn't killed her. Oh well, he'd think of something. After all, he was the Trickster Priest. He was so into his thoughts he didn't notice Misty coming up to him.
"Boo!" she said. He didn't jump. After the millions of years he had lived, fine and precise body control was easy. "Oh, you're impossible to scare!"
"That's because I know you." he said calmly, hoping she'd go away. No such luck.
"Xellos, hon," she said softly as she leaned against him. Xellos controlled himself and didn't bash her on the head with his staff. "Why didn't you kill the Princess?" she asked for the millionth time.
"I told you." he said. "The Princess wasn't there."
"But why did you stay away so long??" she asked. "I stayed up so late, waiting for you!"
"Sore wa himitsu desu!" he said as he shook his finger at her. Which meant that he freed his captive arm! Victory!
"Oh, Xellos... you're so funny!" she gushed. "You look so cute like that!!!" Xellos sweat dropped.
"Um... how about starting the breakfast fire?" he asked her. Hopefully she'd go away.
"Sure!" she said. "But, after breakfast, I'll come for you and we'll spend some quality time together, 'K? These past few days, you've been so distant!" She kissed his cheek and skipped off. Two skips and a half later, she tripped and fell down. She got up quickly. "Jeje... sorry!" She smiled at him and went to start breakfast.
Xellos shuddered. Quality time.... that was scary. It was weird. Normally, you imagine some rebel's female sidekick to look lean and fit and skilled. She had the looks down... But a sidekick was also supposed to be, he didn't know... good at archery. Know survival skills. Know how to track and evade. Be able to blend into the woods. Unfortunately, Misty didn't have that part down. She was a bit like Amelia in that way. Sort of klutzy, and the grace of a hippopotamus on ice. Almost as if she were always off balance the whole time. And she moved her butt around too much for his liking. The only butt he ever wanted to admire was Lina-chan's.... of course, she'd fireball him for such a thought. Hey, that wasn't so bad after all!!! Delicious! Just thinking about it made him shiver with delight. Well, no time for pranks now, unless he did them by magic. For some reason, though, the people here had this thing against magic. Well, perhaps later. When everyone was sleeping or something. Besides, he was still thinking about his darling Lina-chan. Then a thought struck him. He still had to get Lina an engagement ring! How silly of him to have forgotten all about it! And poor Lina, she probably had wanted one, and he had forgotten all about it. Oh well, he'd get one for her for tonight.
*****
Lina entered the room and saw her 'parents' at the end of the room. She was about to walk up when she felt a hand restraining her.
"What?" she asked the guard.
"I have to present you." said the guard. Then in a loud voice, he spoke.
"Her highness, Princess Lina." Lina winced at the loudness of his voice. "You can go now." he whispered to her.
"Thanks!" she whispered. And she walked to them. As she neared, she saw first her 'father.' He looked so much like Melf. It took a lot of self control to not change her expression. Why did the king look so much like Melf? But this Melf had red hair. Oh well, the Princess's hair had to come from somewhere. Her mother... she gasped inwardly. Her eyes widened slightly, and that was all her body would show. Inwardly, though...
'AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!' she thought to herself. Well, screamed was more like it. 'She looks just like Luna-oneechan!!!!!!!!!!!!' Had she had it her way, she would have bolted from the room, hidden under the red carpet she was walking on. Anything but walk up to her. It was amazing just how alike they looked. The queen had purple hair with bangs that covered her eyes. And she had a small, spooky smile. And she could so imagine the Queen dressed as a waitress. She curtsied to them.
"Oh Lina!" said the Melf look alike. "You look very nice today!"
"Lina." said the Queen. Lina cringed. Luna would use that exact voice whenever she was in trouble.
"Good morning, mother and father." she said softly, trying to control her trembling voice.
"Let's eat." said the Queen. Lina couldn't help but notice. The Queen was just as busty as her sister was. And she should know. She charged tickets to all the guys to see her sis bathing... And she had sold pictures also. They walked to a huge table. They sat on one end, and she sat on the other. Breakfast was silent, since... well, it was a little hard to talk when you are trying to be heard by someone a few eight meters away without screaming your lungs out. Lina tried to behave, and ate as ladylike as she could. By the end of the meal, she had almost spilled her glass of juice twice, but her quick reflexes had saved her. She watched her parents carefully. She was sure that they were talking about her. And how out of it she was. And how different she acted. And how she almost spilled her juice. And many small things.
But amazingly, nothing! Luna's twin didn't speak to her, and the King was silent. After breakfast, though...
"Lina, I would speak with you privately." said the king.
"Take care, Lina." said the Queen. "And remember, mind your manners. Spilling juice over yourself is not what you want to do to please your guests."
Lina looked up, gave her a weak smile and then curtsied to her before following her father. Fortunately, she hadn't fallen over while curtsying. They entered a side room.
"Sit down, Lina," said the king. She did. "Well, Lina, I'll be frank with you. You're old enough to take on new responsibilities, but you are still a little wild. Now, don't interrupt." Lina didn't say a thing. She wasn't planning on interrupting, truth be told. It'd be nice if someone told her how she usually acted.
"I know you like to be independent and all that stuff Lina, but lets face it. Your actions are going to have severe consequences." said the King.
"But what have I done?" she asked innocently. The king sighed.
"Lina, don't pretend. I know you don't like me or your mother. I understand. I hated my parents at your age. It was nice of you to remember it was your mother's birthday today and acted politely without screaming at us." Lina was stunned. Wow, she was supposed to hate her parents. So, had she screamed and run away, she would have been acting correctly. Wow...
"Anyway... your mother and I have thought about this carefully." said the King. "You are more than ready, and we hope that this good streak of yours will continue. But you will need help to keep you on the road. So,..."
"What did you decide for me?" she asked semi-crossly. According to her dad, she wasn't supposed to be a demure maiden.
"Well, we decided, since you are old enough and more than ready... well. You'll be married. Tomorrow. To the Prince of Tethu, Kimun." said the King.
"WHAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!????????????????????????????" She shouted. "NO WAY I'M GETTING MARRIED TO SOME UNKNOWN GUY!!!!!!!!"
"Lina, this is for your own good, please understand." said the king tiredly.
"I DON'T THINK SO!" said Lina. She quieted down a bit. "I am not planning on getting married. NO way! Not to some weird guy I've never met! I don't even know if we have the same tastes!"
"Oh, that's all your worried about?" he asked. "Don't worry dear! He's the type of guy you like. Easy to trick and gullible." Lina sweat dropped. The more she learned about the Princess she was supposed to be, the more she decided that she utterly disliked her.
"But I don't want to get married to someone I've never seen! I set very high standards, you know!" she said, trying to think of any excuse she could use.
"He's already in love with you, Lina. He's heard all about you, and he still wants to marry you. Besides, he's filthy rich! You always wanted to marry a rich, old guy. Didn't you tell us that you preferred to marry some old geezer just to get his money and watch him die?"
"When do I have to leave?" she asked, trying to change the subject.
"Um, after lunch!" he said. Lina's jaw dropped. "Now, before you say you won't have time to pack or anything like that, don't worry. At this moment, the servants are packing your stuff for you."
"I don't want to leave today!!!!" she said.
"But hon, the trip takes almost a day. And the wedding has been planned at the Tethu palace! I'm sure you'll like it. I told Kimun all the dishes you like and what colors you like."
"Did you tell him that I'll probably stab him in the stomach with a fork if he even touches me?" she asked crossly.
"Now, now, now, Lina..." he said. "No need to get so uptight about it. It'll work out wonderfully, I'm sure!"
"I don't want to get married!" she said. She told herself that she shouldn't fireball her father. It was probably against the rules. She could see it somewhere. 'Thou shalt not Fireball your father or mother when dealing with their idiotic ideas.'
"Look, Lina. The matter is closed and sealed." said the King. "You are leaving for Tethu after lunch, and that is that!" He left the room. Lina was left looking at the closed door.
"I don't want to get married to the ole geezer," she whispered. She left the room, wiping her eyes. Of all the awful things that had to happen... she went into her old room. It was pretty much empty. What in the world was she going to do?
'OK, Lina' she thought to herself. 'Shape up. You're not gonna get married. But the real princess won't want to either. So, find a way to fix it up. Now, tonight, Albuntra was supposed to finish the scroll. I can't pick it up. I could run away from all of this... But Lina Inverse doesn't run away!'
She found a piece of paper and briefly wrote a note explaining that she couldn't come by tonight to do the scroll. That got her thinking again.
"Albuntra will be broken hearted..." she said softly. And as much as she didn't like the princess, she did have her good points. To be willing to fall in love with a commoner when she herself was so rich shouldn't be taken lightly. So... what to do? Her mind thought furiously.
*****
Breakfast was over, and his doom was coming. Well, something like that. He was presently 'hiding', so that Misty couldn't find him. He was doing all sorts of odd jobs. He volunteered to do dishes, because they had to be taken to a faraway creek with the cook to wash. And the cook's company was better than Misty's. But someone was doing dishes already. So, he decided to go scout ahead. So, here he was, looking carefully about him. Well, this was a little boring, so he floated around. It was much more efficient. It made less noise, and didn't leave tracks. Suddenly he felt a presence near him, and he landed on the ground quickly. He turned around saw Misty staring at him with wide eyes.
"Oh, hi Misty!" he said. "I see you finished breakfast, right? Was it good?"
"Um.. Xell, hon... were you flying?" she asked, her eyes wide and open, full of an unknown feeling.
"Well, what do you consider flying?" asked Xellos agreeably. He was smiling happily and didn't look worried at all.
"Well, none of your feet were on the ground." said Misty.
"Like this?" asked Xellos. He jumped up and sat on a tree branch.
"No, you weren't on a tree branch." said Misty. "Oh, Xellos. Stop teasing me! You were like, floating around!"
"Or like this?" asked Xellos. He jumped down and started to walk on his hands. "My feet aren't on the ground either."
"Xellos... you can tell me!" she said. "You're learning magic, right?"
"Sore wa himitsu desu!" said Xellos. He was walking in circles around her. He finally stopped.
"You were flying! Or at least, floating!" said Misty. "Like this!" This time, she began to float. "Right?"
Xellos looked at her, surprised.
"You know magic?" he asked.
"Of course, silly." said Misty as she floated around him. "How else could I fly? I can fly just like you!" Her eyes narrowed.
"So, what are you doing, practicing forbidden arts?" asked Xellos.
"Simple, Xellos!" she said coyly. "I'm a demon hunter! I need to know magic. How else would I know who was human and who wasn't?" She was practically grinning now.
"How fun!" said Xellos. "Found any yet?" He shifted his posture slightly.
"Well, I have a lead or two. Heard someone in our group was a demon of sorts." she said. "A very powerful demon, they told me."
"So, have you found this demon of yours yet?" asked Xellos calmly.
"I might have." said Misty. "Want to hear about this demon? Since you know magic, we can hunt together."
"I don't know if I'd be any good." said Xellos. "I'd probably get in your way."
"I'm sure you'd be fine." she said. "I'm sure you'd do better than just fine..., wouldn't you, Xellos?"
"Maybe." said Xellos. "So, tell me what did you want to talk about after breakfast?" Misty blinked at the change of topic and dropped on the ground.
"Oh, just wanted to spend time with you." she said. She latched on to his arm and put her head against his shoulder. "I love spending time with you. Just that recently, you haven't had much time. And well, I'm slightly busy hunting. So, tell me... what about you?"
"Um... nothing much..." said Xellos as he rubbed the back of his head with his free, left hand.
"You're always gone, it seems like." said Misty as she stared adoringly at him. "Like the night before last, I felt something strange and I woke up, thinking it was the demon. But all I found was nothing. And you had vanished. I couldn't find you anywhere. I thought the demon had taken you or something."
"Last night?" asked Xellos. "That's weird."
"Well... what have you been doing, sneaking around at night?" she asked.
"Me? Here and there." he said simply. "Watch gets boring at night."
"Well, then. That's why I'm here!" she said. She giggled and dragged him. "Come on! Let's look around!" So, for a while, Misty ran and dragged him behind her.
"You know something, Xellos?" she said. They had stopped for a while, and were resting.
"What?" asked Xellos. He was still wary about her. Either she was schizophrenic, had mood swings... or was planning something.
"I was told by this guy,... with really cool teal eyes... that I'd find the demon in this group." she said.
"Oh... what was his name?" he asked.
"Mel something..." she said. "Anyway,... he told me something really wild... He told me the demon was you!" She burst out laughing. "Can you believe that???? You, a demon? I told him you were an assassin, but not a demon. Just because you were a rebel leader and all that, he thought you were a demon!"
"How wild is that..." said Xellos. "So, what did this guy tell you?"
"He said that you were the most powerful demon I'd find here. I just laughed at him. You aren't one, I told him. And he just looked at me and told me to beware! I thought it was a riot!" She continued to laugh.
"Well, so... when did you meet this guy?" he asked. Something was fishy.
"Oh, don't be jealous!" she said jokingly. "I saw him about a week and a half ago. And then, he sort of walked away! I almost thought he was a demon too! But I couldn't feel an aura against him."
"Oh..." said Xellos. Of course, if Misty couldn't tell that he wasn't exactly human... well, how was she supposed to tell if someone else wasn't exactly human either. "So, do you think I'm a demon, Misty-san?"
"NO!!! Of course not!" she said. "Someone as friendly and as smart and as sly as you couldn't be a demon." Xellos sighed inwardly. Her description sounded a lot like how he used to be before turning into Chaos Knight. They spent the rest of the afternoon talking. Xellos decided, since she was nice enough to tell him about this demon, he'd pretend to be nice to her. She deserved that much.
That night, he took the fifth watch, around midnight to three in the morning. When it was his turn, he once again shielded the area and left off to fly and find Lina. She had to know that someone was after them. And a pair of eyes watched him fly into the moon less night.
He reached the castle and flew up to Lina's window. Odd, it was dark, and the window was closed. Oh well, no problem for him. He teleported inside the room. To his surprise, he found the room empty. Well, not empty. The bed was still there, but the covers were gone, and the closet was empty. Where in the world was Lina? Was she playing a trick on him? They had to get back soon, because danger was approaching, he could feel it. He turned around and walked around the room, trying to find clues to Lina's whereabouts. His eyes picked up a glimmer near the window. It was a small note, tied up with a long strand of ruby red hair. He would have missed it, had the moonlight not shone on it. Wait, the moon wasn't out tonight. His eyes narrowed as he saw a pair of eyes stare at him. He grabbed the note and dodged the oncoming fireball launched at him. It broke through the window and the fire started on the closet, which was made out of wood.
"You won't find her." said a voice, right before another fireball was sent in after him. His staff appeared in his hands and he redirected the fireball back at the eyes. The eyes widened and then vanished right before the fireball hit it. Xellos flew out the room, through a water based attack into the room to douse the fire and searched for the guy who just attacked him. There was no magical aura near him. Whoever it had been, he had escaped. He noticed that people were running to see what had happened. Well, he couldn't stay around then. Making sure he had the note, he left.
When he was sure nobody was around, he opened the note up. He was up in a tree, close to the camp, in case Misty once more noted his absence. This time though, he was using his magic to camouflage his aura and himself. He opened the note. It was written in a messy handwriting, one that Xellos easily recognized as Lina's.
Xellos, Stupid parents of the princess sent me off to marry a stupid old geezer prince in Tethu. So, couldn't pick up the scroll. Wrote a note to Albuntra to tell him that I had to leave and that he had to put the scroll together. Also told him I was sending a messenger to pick up the scroll. Password: Sore wa himitsu desu. Stop laughing! I know you're laughing. I told him you'd be there by one in the morn till three. Find me tomorrow. Tirla
There was a map drawn. Hm.. he had to go find Albuntra now, before they got to him also. So, he followed the map's instructions and quickly found the house.
He knocked on the door. Who in the world would be up at this time anyway?
"Who's there?" asked a voice.
"Princess Lina sent me." he said quietly.
"Not good enough." said the voice. "I need proof. What's the password?"
"Sore wa himitsu desu." said Xellos quietly. The door opened and a head peeked out, looked about wildly and then pulled him in.
"So..." said Albuntra, taking in the purple hair, the purple eyes, the purple trimmed cloak... "You like purple?"
"Um... yeah." said Xellos. "Can I have the scroll now?"
"No." said Albuntra, his eyes staring at him. "How do I know you are the one the Princess sent? Take a seat. You're number 4." He pointed at a row of chairs, with a guy on each chair. Xellos sat down in the last chair.
"Well, so why are you here?" he asked the guy next to him.
"I'm here to pick up the scroll, impostor." said Guy #3. How did Xellos know that one was Guy #3? Well, he had a sticker on him that said #3.
"Here's yours." said Albuntra. He stuck a sticker on Xellos that said #4. Xellos stared at him and then at the others. #1 had black hair, and black eyes. Black because he looked like someone knocked him out. #2 also had black eyes, but brown hair. He looked like he had been in a scuffle also. #3 had green eyes and brown hair.
"OK,..." said Albuntra. "Pay attention, all of you. I don't know who the real guy is, but it's one of you. It's after three, so, one of you must be it. I have the scroll, hidden in a lock that the Princess did for me to protect the scroll. Now, I will ask each of you what your relation to the Princess is and what your proof is. You, #1, can start. And no funny moves. I may look a little amateurish, but I'm a sage, and know exactly how to turn each of you into a little frog for lunch tomorrow." He sat down and #1 stood up.
"My name is Hakim. I am Princess Lina's servant in the castle." said #1. "I have served under his Highness King Marduk and his wife, her highness, Queen Meesha for 12 years. Here are my papers." He handed the papers to Albuntra and sat down. #2 stood up.
"I am Jobet." he said. "I am Princess Lina's teacher in martial arts. Here's my paper." He also sat down, after giving the paper to Albuntra.
"My name is Maverick." said #3. "I am her personal cook. I know her favorite dishes." He also took out his papers. Xellos gulped. What the heck was he supposed to say. He couldn't quite say, I'm Xellos, the Trickster Priest... AND he couldn't say he was a Chaos Knight along with Lina... so, what to say?
AUTHOR'S NOTES... Jajajajajaja!!!!!!!! I left you all on a dreaded.... *drumroll* .... cliffhanger!!!!!!! *insert evil laugh here* OK, anyway, what do you think? I liked this chapter! Did you catch all the twists and turns I put in here... I tried to write something that was halfway predictable, but then tried to give it my own twisted turn to it! What do you think of my efforts? Did it work? Can you tell that I rebel against normalcy? (well, only a bit...) Anyway, I'm glad you guys are reading this blurb... you guys make me so happy! Thanks for being the awesome readers you all are! Anyway, thanks for the reviews, and remember, keep em coming!!!! Please R and R and C and C... criticisms are EXTREMELY WELCOME, so if you have any, fire away! Yeah, all that. Thanks for reading, and have a wonderful day!!! Have fun!
Take care!
Hotaru Kimiko Lai