Life After Death by: Kumiko Saotome
Ch. 1: Infatuation

Disclaimer: The Slayers does not belong to me. But you probably already knew that.

Author's Notes: Hello. This is my first fic in a long time, so please be easy on me. It was sorta hard since I really don't know much about the five lords and made a lot of things up. Therefore, everything might not be 100% accurate. This takes place while Phibrizzo-sama is waiting for Lina to set off the giga slave. He has a flash back and so on.

Phibrizzo sat humming to himself. Stretching his small body out on the crystal floor, he sighed. When would this girl arrive to bring the chaos? Destruction was what he wanted and he needed it now. He just couldn't take it anymore. Living in this cold underworld all by himself, watching the souls of the dead gather in his crystal. All alone. He had a strong jealousy towards humans. Why should he? They didn't live long, they had no ultimate powers, they could be crushed in seconds. What'd they have that he didn't? That was simple. The power to love. All he could do was hate. Hate, destroy, kill. That's why he was so alone. By nature, he was a nice guy, but being a mazoku made him miserable. That's why he wanted the destruction. Who wanted an eternity living alone? But it didn't always have to be that way....
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Mora walked gracefully through the beautiful building, admiring the painted walls and pretty art. Turning to her left, she saw a smiling priest looking at her.
"Xellos! I haven't seen you in quite a while! How have you been?" She smiled and walked toward him.
"Ahh...lovely Mora! I'm doing fine, thanks. This meeting is quite a drag, nothing interesting at all..."
"Now don't go starting trouble, Xellos! Remember our last meeting? Total embarassment to Miss Zellas!" Mora said, shaking a finger at him.
"I really must be going Mora, Zellas will be needing me!" He said, looking around.
"Wait, Xellos! What's this meeting about?!" Mora asked, in a desperately bored tone.
"Now...that is a secret!" He smiled and disappeared.
Mora rolled her eyes and shook her head. He probably didn't even know. She continued walking. Sherra, Dynast's general, was walking with Fraz, Phibrizzo's other servant, his priest.
"And here's Mora now! She works with me. She's Phibrizzo-sama's general. Mora, this is Sherra, Dynast's general!" Fraz said happily. He was obviously drunk.
"We've met before." Mora said in a stern tone, and glared at Sherra.
"Great! That makes it better!" Fraz said raising an eyebrow. Sherra returned her glare.
"I think Lord Hellmaster will be needing us. We'd better go." Mora said coldly.
"You're probably right. Bye Miss Sherra! It was a pleasure to meet you!" Fraz said waving.
Sherra waved and Mora dragged Fraz down the cold, beautiful halls. Eventually, they came to a large room. Thousands of other mazoku were seated or standing, with Lord Ruby Eye readying himself to speak. The general and priest sat themselves down in chairs next to Phibrizzo. Phibrizzo smiled contently at Fraz. Fraz was always his cheerful self-drunk and happy, much like Xellos, Zellas' priest. Phibrizzo turned his gaze towards Mora. He stared at her from the corner of his eye. Blue silky cloth was wrapped around her and her black hair was flowing. She was just about as short as Phibrizzo, but had a very womanly, developed figure.
"You look lovely, as usual, Mora..." Phibrizzo smiled at her. Mora blushed. What a charming smile Phibrizzo-sama had. Fraz tapped Phibrizzo on the shoulder and he turned back toward him.
"Lord Hellmaster...Lord Dynast requests to sit next you..." Fraz whispered.
"Alright then, send my dear friend over. Lucky switch for you, you get to sit next to his lovely general..." The two mazoku began to laugh. Fraz then picked himself up and walked away. Mora tore her cold eyes away from Fraz and toward Sherra again.
"Phibrizzo....what a lovely general you have....." Dynast said.
"No no Dynast, don't go feasting your eyes on my Mora!" Phibrizzo laughed, putting an arm around Mora and pulling her close.
"So I see you still like to take that child's form, Phibrizzo, honestly why?"
"It might come in handy some day and anyway all the ladies say it's cute. Not to mention-" Mora was blocking out their talking. She was still huddled close to Phibrizzo. Nuzzling her head into his chest, she could hear his heart beating steadily. Though she was blushing, her face had a look of pleasure on it. Closing her eyes, she fell asleep to the sweet voices of Phibrizzo and Dynast talking. His arm pulled her even closer and she drifted off to a dream world.
Mora woke up to Phibrizzo tapping her gently. "Mora...Lord Shabranigdo is beginning his boring old speech now..." Phibrizzo chuckled. She sat up straight. A few mazoku near her stared. She turned beet red. What had she been thinking, falling all over Lord Hellmaster like that? Disgraceful....
Ruby-Eye babbled something about war. After addressing the lower level mazoku, he got to the Five Lords, and their servants. Demanding that their priests and generals, as well as them, lead most of the battles, he wasn't very good at putting things in nicer terms. After listening to his wretched speech, Mora pretty much gathered that they were going into a big war and she'd be important. This couldn't be good. Her concentration was broken by Phibrizzo and Dynast whispering.
"Who's that girl over there, the one with the long blue hair?" Phibrizzo asked staring, practically drooling. Mora's cold eyes returned, staring in an angry sort of terror.
"Ah, yes, that's Deep Sea Dolphin, she really is the most beautiful woman I've ever seen...she's one of us, you know. We don't get to see her much, she lives in the Demon's Sea. Not to mention, I heard Zellas drove her crazy. Never came out again...'til now..."
"I heard that, asshole..." A voice sneered. Phibrizzo turned. The Greater Beast Zellas Metallium- in her prettier form, was seated in the row in front of him.
"Miss Zellas, it's so nice to..."
"Don't give me that shit, Dynast. It's bad enough I am stuck here with a bunch of losers, but you have to show up. And then have the nerve to talk about me!" Zellas hissed.
"Zellas...you look so lovely! We haven't spoken in quite a while..." Phibrizzo said, waving at her. Her Dynast-threatening face turned into a wide smile.
"Lord Phibrizzo...I really missed you..." She was at a loss for words, still staring at him. Mora's glare at Zellas was now intense. Fire began to weld in her fingers...wouldn't it be nice to fireball her...? Xellos turned around with his eyes open, staring at Mora. He could feel she was REALLY angry about something.
"Ohh...Phhiibbbyy-sama I loooove you..." Dynast said in a squeaky voice, laughing. Zellas, threw her cigarette right at his face, the hot tip burning him. Dynast turned red.
"Now Dynast, don't let that nasty temper of yours..." Phibrizzo was too late. Dynast fired off a range of explosions at Zellas. The attacks were returned. Pretty soon, other people were firing things off. One hit Lord Ruby-Eye, and he began to flip out, shooting things off himself. A very large fireball almost hit Mora. Phibrizzo jumped and pulled her to the ground, his body covering her for quite a while. Weapons, fire, and a range of spells were going everywhere. Quite chaotic.
Mora could feel his heart beating against hers. He looked at her with the most adoring eyes. Why couldn't it always be like this? He pulled her up. The fighting was starting to die down. Everyone took off in other directions and rooms to talk while things were set back up.
"T-Thank you Lord...I.." Mora stuttered. Phibrizzo smiled and walked off.
Mora, her heart soaring, walked slowly around, looking up to see Xellos. "Xellos, I need to talk to you, it's really important..." The two walked off together in a quieter corner. She looked down, then up in a firey way.
"Xellos, do you love Zellas?" She said outright, then gasped at her audacity.
"Love her?! Love? Mora, mazoku DON'T love. We just don't. And if I was to LOVE anyone, it probably wouldn't be Zellas. After all, she created me. She's like my mother. Who would be in love with someone you have to constantly take orders from? It's just not...right..."
Mora hung her head down and sighed. Xellos opened his eyes wide. Moving toward Mora, he put his hand on her shoulder. "It's Phibrizzo, isn't it...?" Xellos shook his head at her. "Mora, you CAN'T love Phibrizzo. It's against...the laws of nature. You love your work. You love Lord Ruby-Eye. You have a great pride in working for him. But that's it. Maybe you just...maybe you just had too much of that wine. Phibrizzo can't have two drunk..."
"Xellos...you..YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT!" Tears were rolling down Mora's eyes, and she pushed Xellos away. She wiped her face and ran out the room. What'd he know...? He was just...just a stupid mazoku who disappeared on people all the time! But... he was her friend. And he was only being honest. Was she going insane? Perhaps her admiration for Phibrizzo-sama had gone a little too far...
"Oh wow! I didn't know you could that type of magic. Maybe you could show me sometime." Sherra bent down and looked at the short, powerful mazoku. Phibrizzo was so wonderful. He was just a tad bit....short. Well...maybe he wasn't that wonderful. Why'd Dynast send her to do this stupid job anyway?
"Sherra..could you..y'know..um..keep Phibrizzo a little uh...busy..because I....I um.."
"Mr. Dynast whatever it is, yes, but could you please spit it out?!" Sherra said angrily. Surprisingly, Sherra wasn't as polite to her creator as the other mazoku were. And what was even more surprising, Dynast actually let her.
Phibrizzo put his hand up to Sherra's face and smiled. Sherra hid her disgust. Why'd he have to touch her? She had to make a personal note to give Dynast a good shove after this.
"Well, you see...I sorta really like Deep Sea Dolphin...and uh, what if Phibrizzo does too, y'know? Well I want to go talk to her and I don't want him to get in the way. So could you, you know, keep him busy for a little while?" Dynast had asked her.
"That is so mean! He's supposed to be your friend...oh well, a mazoku is a mazoku! I'll occupy him. You owe me one, Dynast-sama..."
Sherra heard the voices of Dynast and that Dolphin girl nearby. Now she really had to keep Phibrizzo's full attention. Pulling Phibrizzo's face close to hers, she kissed him. It was a rather long one. And unpleasant too. Sherra didn't enjoy this at all. How could Dynast make her do this? It just wasn't right... Her eyes were opened now and Phibrizzo was still kissing her. She could see a shape in the distance. Her eyes unblurred.
Mora was standing, one hand on the wall, and the other close to her chest. There were tears in her eyes, and her eyes weren't cold this time. They were dark and desolate. Sherra , like other mazoku, could feel pain and desolate emotions were leaking out all over in the air. Phibrizzo was still too busy in this kiss to notice his own servant in despair.
Sherra had had a taste of Mora's pain, and this kiss was bothering her so much. Her pain-eating was done, and she felt terrible for Mora. Mora was curled up in a ball on the floor shaking in a corner. Everyone in the room was now gaping her. Except Phibrizzo. Sherra pulled away. Phibrizzo looked up confused and then started to wonder what everyone was looking at. Finally, he gasped when he saw Mora.
Slowly, he began to walk toward her. Mora put up her face. Phibrizzo-sama was...coming to comfort her... That Sherra! Pretending to like him! How could you? How could you pretend? Such insolence...such disrespect...she was going to pay! Mora's eyes were so icy now that it began to make people cold just looking at her. Because of Sherra, other mazoku had felt her pain. She was so embarassed. Her pathetic love for Phibrizzo was her stupid weakness and others knew now. And the worse part about it was, Phibrizzo was the only one he didn't know. It was certain, she was going to pay!
Mora rose to her feet and growled. Phibrizzo jumped back. "FREEZE!" Ice shot out of her hand and began freezing everything. Mazoku yelled and ran out the halls. She was hurting others and kept aiming for Sherra. "HOW DARE YOU! HOW DARE YOU PRETEND!" Mora shot an icicle right through Sherra's arm. Everything was covered in ice. Those who weren't frozen, were gone. Phibrizzo stood angrily.
"Mora, what in the hell are you doing?!" Phibrizzo yelled.
"Phibrizzo-sama...I um..." Mora said meagerly. She hung her head down.
"What I'm doing is none of you damn business! You should just be around when I need you. Not meddling in my affairs. As if there isn't enough going on, without you shooting ice around and scaring other off!"
"Um..well you...see..." Stung by Phibrizzo words, Mora tried to search for words to explain.
"I DON'T WANT TO HEAR IT. What am I supposed to tell everyone?" Phibrizzo shouted. Mora could see Sherra stirring behind him.
"SHERRA WAS PRETENDING! PRETENDING! SHE DOESN'T EVEN LIKE YOU! I saw it! I felt it! I just didn't want you to get hurt..." After her little outburst Mora hung her head down again.
"Heh heh...heh ha..." Phibrizzo began to chuckle. Mora looked up surprised. "Well duh Mora! I knew Dynast was using her to keep me away from Dolphin. I'm not dumb, y'know. But I figured I'd just play along and have some fun with Sherra. I can always see Deep Sea Dolphin later." Phibrizzo was laughing happily. Sherra was scowling and holding her bleeding arm.
"So you mean I got a freakin' icicle up my arm for absolutely nothing?!" Sherra yelled.
"No. Not for nothing. It proved what an idiot you are and how easily Dynast and I can use you. Not to mention it showed what a bad kisser you are. And that Mora has a very good aim. And that..."
"If you weren't able to kill me in .5 seconds, I'd slap you!" Sherra shouted and ran out the room.
Phibrizzo was laughing like a little kid. Mora smiled. She supposed it turn out ok...and then..
"Nevermind that." Phibrizzo's smile turned into a frown. "What's this crap about me getting hurt? Mora, it's not like I'm gonna fall in love with a girl and have my feelings hurt! You've been acting so wierd lately! Like I said, mind your own business. Now I think the chaos in the Meeting Room has died down. Come along, and don't embarass me anymore!"
Mora was walking silently along her master. Ice was tangled into her dark black hair. Her dress was half torn and the silky blue didn't look so fancy anymore. So Xellos was right. All Phibrizzo needed her for was his dirty work. And his thoughts on love were that of a bitter womanizing human. How pathetic. Where'd she get these ideas from anyway? Too much wine....

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