A/N: Well, maybe it seemed like I dropped off the face of the earth, especially as I had been updating fairly frequently. Sorry for the long silence. I was very busy trying to organize my affairs concerning my final exams, etc, and then over Winter Break I was very sidetracked by my sister's Christmas present, a PS2 combined with Kingdom Hearts and FFX. *Thinks of Wakka x Lulu and sighs* Anyway, I finally got around to proofreading my latest chapter, so if y'all haven't forgotten about me, here it is, submitted for your approval. I hope it's decent. It's hard to get back into my writing style after such a long dormancy.

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Rashart stiffened as he felt the cold touch of steel upon his throat. He'd lost. He'd really lost. Rashart blinked slowly. He still couldn't figure out how it had happened; it had all been so fast. He was in the palace of Beastmaster Zelas, accompanying his master to the gathering at which Deep Sea Dolphin would at last reveal what she had learned. The servant of Beastmaster had belatedly accepted his challenge to a sword fight, and he had eagerly agreed. There was nothing he loved so much as a good fight. He had thought it would be an easy victory, and a good story to tell Master Gaav. But now...

Rashart raised one beefy hand to his neck and took hold of the Beast Priest's arm. Slowly, he began to move the ruby-handled sword away from his throat as he tried to maneuver out of the priest's grasp. "Well, you've won..." Rashart said, still confused by the whole affair.

Suddenly he felt himself thrust back against Xelloss' chest. The general/priest certainly was strong. "What about my prize?" he hissed in Rashart's ear. It was funny, but somehow Rashart didn't think the cheerful mazoku was smiling anymore.

"I'll give it to ya, I'll give it to ya." Rashart attempted to remove himself once again from pressure of the ruby blade. Xelloss kept it firmly in place. "You know, a blade can't really hurt my body..."

"No," Xelloss agreed amiably, "But this can." The sword suddenly became a staff in his hands. The cold, hard ruby at it's tip was crushed close against Rashart's cheek. Rashart felt the power emanating from the staff--the beginnings of a spell. He hesitated. The sword fight had been more of a show of prowess and power. Rashart was afraid his master would not be happy if he actually started a fight with the Lady Zelas' general. He was under strict orders to behave.

"I said I'd give it to ya, didn't I?" Rashart muttered.

"Now," Xelloss encouraged. "Tell me all of it, now!"

"Ha-ou-sama just wanted a word with Gaav-sama, that's all." Rashart shrugged as best he could while in his current position.

"I know that. What was it about?"

"About Mei-ou-sama. It was just a discussion..." Rashart somehow got the idea that he shouldn't be talking about this.

As though sensing the hesitation, Xelloss pressed the staff closer to Rashart's throat and the power swelling at it's tip increased. It began to burn against Rashart's body. "Ha-ou offered to support Gaav-sama if he would agree to help him confront Mei-ou. I don't see what's so important about it anyway. Gaav-sama refused. It's not like he'd actually do anything. He told Ha-ou that he should keep all his damn plotting and scheming to himself and start concentrating on important things, like Lord Ruby Eyes' resurec..."

"What were they planning to do to Mei-ou?" Zelas' general interrupted. He didn't sound very interested in the Dark Lord's resurrection. Still, a faint amusement had crept into his voice. "Do you mean to say Ha-ou actually approached Gaav about eliminating Mei-ou?"

"That's Maryuu-ou-sama to you," Rashart started, but he was cut off by a burst of black energy as it tore at him, leaving him clutching his side. He looked up at Xelloss and growled. "If you're tryin' to pick a fight..."

"I'm asking, did they mention getting rid of Phibrizzo permanently?"

"I don't remember. I didn't understand much of..." The energy burst again, making Rashart feel nauseous and disoriented. He felt his control over his human form slipping. "Yes!" he roared in pain.

"I thought that might jog your memory..." This time it was Xelloss who was cut off as he side stepped to evade a lunge by the Demon Dragon King's hulking general.

"Now, now," Xelloss shook a finger at the other mazoku. "There's no need for violence. If you'll just tell me what I want to know, we can dispense with it altogether."

"Nobody pushes me around," Rashart responded angrily, preparing an offensive attack, should one become necessary.

"But you did promise to tell me what you knew if I won...and I won." Xelloss reminded him cockily. Rashart grumbled to himself. That was the part he still didn't understand. How had the young general beat him so quickly, and so easily? But he had. And Rashart got the distinct impression that if he didn't keep his word, things would get very violent very quickly. And Lord Gaav would not approve. While he loved war and chaos, he didn't want anything to happen that might make Dolphin decide not to give him the information he needed after all.

"Fine," he muttered finally. "Ha-ou-sama told Gaav-sama that if he would help him get rid of the Hellmaster, he would ensure that Gaav-sama got Kai-ou-sama's information without delay, and any information she might come across in the future."

"I see," Xelloss said softly. Rashart, who still couldn't believe he had lost, was about to challenge Xelloss to a rematch, but the other general, suddenly laughing, said, "I'd love to stay and chat, but I'm afraid I have pressing business elsewhere. Ja," and phased out.

Rashart sullenly let the power he had gathered dissipate. "What was that all about?" he wondered to himself outloud.

***

Dolphin sat nervously on a pile of cushions while Zelas spoke. She hoped that everyone was too focused on her sister's speech to notice her restlessness. She, herself, didn't hear a word. She was completely focused on the figure seated beside Zelas' throne. Xelloss.

Dolphin had insisted the gathering be held on the Island, citing Zelas' typical lack of participation in family events as her reason. Everyone had undoubtedly put it down to just another move on her part to annoy Zelas. The truth, of course, was that Dolphin wanted a chance to be near Xelloss. Zelas so often left him home that she had feared holding the gathering at any other place might result in his absence. She had also worried that Zelas might choose that day to send her sevant away on some errand. But luckily, Zelas seemed to be aware that now was too important a time to be lacking in help.

According to her plan, the Kai-ou had approached Xelloss several times, trying to gain entrance to his mind. She found, however, that while he didn't seem to be particularly sharp, he did know how to guard his thoughts. To discover any more than his most general and trivial of thoughts, she would have to meld with him, she decided. This required making contact with his astral being and joining her mind with his for a brief period of time. It was much more complicated than simply reading his mind, but it would allow her much better insight to his real thoughts. As it was, she had discovered that, either out of stupidity and lack of attention span or out of mistrust, he tended to fill his thoughts with extremely trivial things, such as the taste of a slice of cake or the color of the sky at any given moment. He also busied himself with extremely silly tasks, such as chasing his tail (he sometimes grew one) or waiting on Zelas. This caused his mind to be ever full of useless information. Yes, it would definitely take a melding of their minds for Dolphin to sort out the pointless trivialities from the real stuff.

In order to find an opportunity to perform the melding, Dolphin had asked Xelloss to grant her a private audience. She had admitted to him that she wished to exchange information with him, had promised him gifts and rewards if he complied, and he had responded that he would consider it. Since then Dolphin had been anxious from waiting, wondering what was going through the priest's mind. She had tracked Zelas' mind carefully to see if the priest would relate her request to his master, but she could detect no trace of the information entering Zelas' awareness. Dolphin noticed suddenly that the Beast General had met her gaze. His eyes were dancing with amusement and he winked slyly at her from across the room. Dolphin smiled sweetly in return, not wanting him get the idea that her attentions were anything but well-intentioned. He moved one heavily adorned arm from his lap and used it to support his head in an expression of boredom, causing his many bracelets to jingle softly. For the formal occasion of Zelas entertaining the dark lords in her throne room, the general/priest had forgone his typical garments for something a little more...Zelas-like. The two were wearing matching white robes which revealed more than they covered and far too many bracelets, rings, and other trinkets for Dolphin's taste. On his feet he wore golden sandals and Dolphin could make out the dark, puckered lines of several tribal tattooes on various parts of his body. The whole disgusting display was so typically Zelas that Dolphin could only shake her head. And yet, there was something about seeing Xelloss so outfitted that...intrigued her.

Xelloss suddenly broke the contact of their eyes and stood. The abrupt movement shook Dolphin out of her reverie, and she noticed with some surprise that Zelas had finished talking. She had no idea what her sister might have said during the whole speech, but she knew in any case that she was to present her prophesy to the four when the sun set. She had already arranged it. She presumed Zelas was giving the others time to prepare themselves for what would likely be a long and tiring meeting. After all, information about the whereabouts of the pieces of Ruby Eyed Shabranigdo did not come to them every day. Phibrizzo would no doubt have a lot to say about the subject. Personally, Phibrizzo's endless quest to win Shrabranigdo's favor bored Dolphin out of her mind, but she supposed it wouldn't hurt much to give him the information he sought.

Dolphin stood with the rest of the lords and made her way towards the door, but something made her stop and glance behind her. Xelloss was still standing on the dais where he had been seated, gazing after her. Dolphin dismissed Blue, who had been sitting the entire time by her side and sent her to their suite to wait. When the throne room was completely empty of everyone but themselves, Xelloss took a few steps off the dais and spoke.

"Kai-ou-sama, I have been thinking about your request," he said softly, a light smile on his face. "I have decided that I will grant you an audience." Dolphin smiled. He continued, "Entirely private as you requested. That is," he lifted one finger and waggled it at her slyly, "if you'll tell me what it is you have in mind."

"I merely wished to trade information," Dolphin said sweetly. "I have never had the chance to get to know you, seeing as Zelas so rarely brings you along where she goes. I thought that if we each opened our minds to the other, I might be able to put that to right, and you would be able to have access to my thoughts as well. It would be an even trade."

Xelloss' grin widened. "To *trade* information, you say? I highly doubt that I could make much use of anything you could tell me; I am merely a humble servant. And I suspect that by opening my mind to you, I will be giving you the opportunity to enter my thoughts and read them all?"


Dolphin started violently, but managed to keep her expression calm. How had the damned imbecile guessed it?

Undoubtedly noting her reaction, Xelloss quickly continued, "Oh, don't worry. I haven't said anything to my master. She doesn't need to know about this," he winked. "I am not so adverse to the idea as you might think. After all, you mentioned that you might be able to reward me for my efforts..."


Dolphin covered the distance between the dais and herself swiftly and took hold of the priest's hand. Using an old technique of hers, she used his physical form to make contact with his astral body and sent various images to his mind, images of himself as a powerful mazoku with skills far beyond what she imagined Zelas had given him, images of thousands of people bowing down to him, worshipping him, images of the wonderful pain and destruction she would give him if he complied.


When she broke the contact, Dolphin smiled at the surprise and awe on Xelloss' face. And as he considered the images, a greedy smile slowly took the place of the surprise. "Zelas never sees fit to reward me like that," he said simply.

"Well, you needn't fear such stinginess on my part," Dolphin laughed.

"In that case," Xelloss grinned, "I assume you won't turn down a simple favor I have to ask."

"What would that be?"

"If I let you into my mind, if I give you complete and unhindered access to my knowledge, will you let me explore those parts of you which interest me?"

Dolphin frowned. "What do you mean?"

"The mind is the center of your world, Kai-ou-sama, and the body is the center of mine. Let our bodies meld as completely as our minds and then we will truly know one another. You said we could *trade* information, but this is the only kind of information I desire. For you to give me access to your mind would have been useless, as you undoubtedly knew, as I have no expertise in drawing power from the mind. However, my ability to focus power through physical connection with someone is no laughing matter. Give me the pleasure of knowing you and I will open my mind to you as fully as you wish."

Dolphin hesitated, backing away from the scantily clad priest before her. "You wish me to share your bed?"

"Hey, you never know! You might enjoy it!" Xelloss gave her a suggestive smile and laughed.

Dolphin ran a hand through her long blue locks nervously. What the young mazoku was suggesting... it brought old memories to Dolphin's mind, flooding her mind's eye with a series of images. They were images of several hundred centuries ago, when she had first had the vision of Zelas and herself, the one which had caused her to hate Zelas so passionately ever since. She had seen a vision of the future, one in which Zelas ruled over her, forcing her to feel the unwelcome sensations of the physical body. In those terrible moments, she had known the indescribable pleasure and pain of Zelas' domain. And then, worst of all, she had seen...no! It was too terrible even to remember. Dolphin forced herself to shake free of the memories.

"I can't do that," she murmured breathlessly.

"That's a pity," Xelloss shrugged, closing the gap between them again. He lifted one jeweled hand and ran it over her cheek. Through the contact, he gave her the power to feel his physical touch, to feel the softness of his skin, the gentleness of his caress. "Because in that case I can't let you enter my mind. You must realize that I would be taking an enormous risk, allowing you to have access to that part of me which lies within your domain, and without even consulting my master. It is too great a risk to take without appropriate compensation."


Dolphin was becoming painfully aware that the beast was not nearly so simple-minded as he let people think. She was considering calling the whole thing off. Still, he was quite possibly her only key to discovering the secrets that Zelas kept. Ever since that vision long ago, Dolphin had been determined to suck every last bit of willfullness and power out of her little sister. The future was never certain, and if Dolphin could just discover whatever power Zelas had that could have allowed her to accomplish such things as the vision showed, she could defeat her, she was sure. Besides, if she abandoned her plan now, the beast priest would undoubtedly end up telling Zelas about the encounter and Zelas would see to it that Dolphin never had access to him again. This was likely her one and only chance.

Xelloss bagan to feign supreme boredom and restlessness. "Well, it's your decision," he said amiably and began to head towards the enormous stone doors which led from the throneroom to Zelas' maze-like gardens.

"Wait!" Dolphin held out a shaking hand. She watched as he slowly turned to look at her, his amethyst eyes burning into hers. "I'll give you want you want, if you'll show me Zelas' deepest secrets."

Xelloss paused a moment. "Hmm. I could never reveal a secret," he said with a slight laugh, "But I could let you gain entrance to that part of my mind. And I could assure you that you will find what you seek there. What you do with the opportunity is your own business."

"Agreed," Dolphin grimaced as the word passed her lips. She would have to take the risk. Anything was worth it, if it meant finally conquering Zelas once and for all. She would never let that horrible future take place.

"Good. I was rather hoping you'd agree." Xelloss clapped his hands in delight, making Dolphin wonder when she had lost control of their discussion and how he had so completely taken it over. Still, she followed him when he began to lead her through the winding passageways of the palace, searching for a place where they could have uninterrupted privacy. And as she went, she readied her mind for the meld. She was pretty certain that the beast priest was unaware that such an absolute melding as he was suggesting, one which combined the physical and psychological, would put him completely at her mercy. True, she would be somewhat helpless as well, but she was far more powerful than him, and unlike him, she knew what to do with her chance.

Xelloss may think he's in control of the situation, she thought, but he doesn't know what he's getting himself into. Let him take his pleasure. It's the last thing any of Beastmaster's clan will ever take from me.