The Slayers: Lina Zelgadiss Xelloss Gourry Amelia Val Filia Sylphiel

~*~ Seyruun Summer High Jinx Special! ~*~

Part Fifteen

(Note: Seishirou, Subaru, and Hokuto are all characters created by the writing team at CLAMP for the Tokyo Babylon and the X manga series.)

Xelloss knew where he was heading. He'd been given explicit directions by Rezo the night before; and so, found the pair of houses nestled between the wind-blown pine trees with no trouble. He pulled up, set the brake and jumped out of the car almost as quickly as Zel could have done it. With the keys in his hands, Xelloss opened first the smaller house, for the girls, and the larger one, for the boys. One cursory look around and he was out running on the beach, Beast howling in the distance.

"Now where's he off to?" Amelia wondered aloud.

"Does it matter?" Zel said curtly. He lugged both his and Xelloss' duffel bags into the house and tossed them irreverently into a corner. "As long as he's out of sight and my hearing range."

Gourry helped Lina with her bag, then returned to the car to tote crates of food that they had purchased on the way. Val was stashing drinks away into the refrigerator, when Lina nosed her way into the house.

"Not bad…" she smiled. "Ours is cozy but yours has a fire place! Anyone for Frisbee?"

Yeah, sure. It was summer. They were at the beach, a practically empty beach. The late afternoon wind was hours away from blowing in a damp fog, so… yeah!

Gourry pulled out football from his duffel and trotted out the door last. It was a pretty wild game with both a flying Frisbee and a football, but they laughed a lot and forgot about all their problems.

"We're going in for drinks!" Lina called out. "Be right back!" She nodded to Amelia and together they skipped back to their house.

"Heads up, Xelloss!" Val cried out as he launched the football like a missile directly at him.

Surprising everyone, Xelloss not only caught the ball on the run, but he returned it dead-on to Gourry.

"You won't be-leeeeve what I found!" Xelloss cried out.

"Must be good ta get you so worked up," Gourry said. "Nice catch, by the way. You ever play football?" He couldn't figure out when Xelloss might have done such a thing, but Gourry couldn't figure Xelloss out at all anyway.

"A little, with other kids in grade school, then a bit at the nut house. But ya gotta hear what I found!" Xelloss said breathlessly. He waited for Val and Zel to get closer, and noted that Lina and Amelia were on their way back to their house.

"Way down there, the next cove…" Xelloss smiled, then lowered his voice. "It's a nude beach…."

"Oh, yeah?" Val grinned and turned to look in the direction Xelloss was pointing.

"I don't think that's legal around here," Zel made his pronouncement and folded his arms across his chest. "What makes you think that it is?"

Xelloss smiled, his eyes on Lina as she entered the house, "That's a secret!"

"Humph!" sniffed Zel. "Just as I thought. Only your overactive imagination at work."

Xelloss' smile widened into a grin, "If you say so…I dare you to come look then!"

Zel was about to shove Xelloss out of his way and go back to the house as well, but with Gourry and Val standing there, he had his male 'honor' to uphold. "All…" he sighed, "…right."

Giggling in triumph, Xelloss turned to lead the way to the far end of the beach.

"Where are you going, Mr. Zelgadiss?" Amelia asked innocently and taking a sip from her water bottle. She'd run over to find out what was going on while Lina used the bathroom.

Zel answered loudly enough for everyone to overhear, "On a wild Xelloss chase. He thinks he has something to show us around the dune cliffs up ahead, and I called his bluff. You and Lina can wait here, if you want. It's sure to be disappointing."

Val and Gourry had run up ahead and were now crouching in the tall dune grass and staring down into the cove below. Xelloss dove for a nearby tuft and belly-crawled to the edge.

They saw fat ones, skinny ones, boy ones and girls ones, and everything inclusive and exclusive. All naked as the day they were born.

"Wanna join them?" Val asked Gourry.

Gourry's clear blue eyes widen measurably, "Ah…I don't think I can do that…."

Val smirked, "Untie yer hair and you could hide everything. I will if you will?" he coaxed his friend daringly.

"You going down there?" Xelloss gasped. "Shit…I would if…."

"I don't think yer ready to flaunt your scars," Val said, showing a great deal of sensitivity toward his friend. "Mine aren't nearly so…bad."

Zelgadiss had reached the top of the hill and was crawling up toward Gourry. He took one look, gasped, blushed, and then looked at Val, who was ripping off his shirt.

"You aren't…" Zel gasped.

"Sure…I wanna feel the breeze," he grinned.

Zel turned to Gourry, "You can't let him go alone!"

Gourry shook his head, "I don't think I can do that, Zel."

"Ah come on, we'll just run out into the water and back," Val urged.

"If you don't, I will!" Xelloss said excitedly. He was ready to try anything!

Zel looked at Xelloss, "Keep your pants on, Gourry'll go or Val will stay."

"Too laaaaate!" Val laughed, tossed his pants in one direction and ran in the other.

Gourry stared at Zel. Zel stared at him then at Xelloss. Xelloss ripped off his shirt, "I don't care! Let them stare!"

"Oh, joy…" Zel groaned. A sprinkling of sand told him that Xelloss was on his way down into the 'forbidden cove' following Val.

Gourry gave Zel one last look of desperation then said, "Don't let Lina see this…" then ripped off his clothes and scooted over the edge and down the other side.

Zel had a split second to decide which would be worse, facing Lina and Amelia and trying to head them off, facing their wrath…or…shock them (and himself). He closed his eyes and pictured Lina's face- wrathful, then appalled. He bit back a curse and tore off his shirt and shorts. One quick check… yes, Xelloss was not too far ahead… then he popped over the ridge and ran like the wind. He was the first to reach the water, and was immersed in icy salt water up to his waist before Val recognized the blur running past him.

"Now, where did they go? I could have sworn I saw the guys up here a minute ago," Lina grumbled as she watched Amelia scamper up the sand dune.

The younger girl spied the piles of clothes first, then curiosity getting the better of her, climbed to the top of the dune and gazed into the cove below. "Oh!" she managed to say as her voice caught in her throat.

"Ya see em?" Lina huffed and puffed to the top.

"They're out in the water, but Miss Lina!" Amelia gulped some air and then continued. "No one is wearing clothes on that beach and here are their clothes!"

"Oh, really?" Lina said in an odd languid tone. Her eyes skimmed over the piles of clothes flung haphazardly in the tall grass.

"Miss Lina! We are NOT going to take their clothes! No! That would be sooooo unjust!" Amelia stomped her foot defiantly.

"Ahhhh, well…" Lina smiled. "Okay…then, we'll just take their…shirts and…underwear. Yes! That way they'll know just how close to being really embarrassed they were."

The two girls bickered back and forth, but in the end, Lina won out. Amelia would not touch the underwear, but Lina had no qualms about it and rolled them up in the shirts, then tucked the bundles under her arms.

With her toe, Lina wrote: "Lina sees all!' Amelia gathered the boy's shorts and pants, piled them beneath the words, then encircled it all with a big heart drawn in the sand with a stick.

"Yeah, that'll do it!" Lina grinned and passed one of the bundles to Amelia. "You can carry Zel's. He'll suffer more knowing that you did! Ha, Ha!"

"Miss Lina!" Amelia cried out, but then giggled. "They will kill us!"

"Not if we get home first! But if we stand here and wait for them to come looking for their clothes…"

Amelia giggled some more, "We'd better run, then!"

"So do you think they saw us?" Xelloss shouted when they found the mark of Lina and their reduced clothing pile.

Zelgadiss yanked on his shorts, hot as his sun-kissed back, and shot off angrily, "What do YOU think! It's your fault, you know, getting us into this mess!"

Val was swearing at the sand scratching uncomfortably.

Gourry mumbled something about being lucky that they left them their shorts to wear back.

"Yeah, but…it makes a great story to tell, right?" Xelloss said as he attempted to put a good spin on the entire escapade. "You liked it, didn't you Val?"

"Yeah, but next time I want a towel ta dry off with…" Val answered.

"See, Zel-gaaaa-diss? He said 'next time'! Hey, did ya notice that no one was really staring at us either? I mean, they looked but didn't faint or anything," Xelloss continued.

Zel just tried to ignore him and forget that he ever did such an insane thing. Whatever made him do that? A year ago he never would have even looked into the cove! Actually, he felt pretty brave…and cool…

"What are you smiling about?" Xelloss asked, scampering alongside his friend. "It was fun, wasn't it? You aren't mad at me?"

Zel shook his head, "No…I'm not mad at you…or myself." His eyes met his friend's briefly, "Maybe I'll try that again about sunrise…hours before Lina gets up."

Xelloss' jaw dropped, and then he started to laugh, "Yes! Yes!!"

"Count me out," Val said. He punched Xelloss on the shoulder, then added, "I'm not a morning person, but…I'd consider sunset."

Xelloss chortled with glee.

Gourry met Val's smile with one of his own, "Dark is good…"

"Woooooweeeee!" Xelloss whooped it up and danced across the sand to their house. He was all charged up with having instigated something truly outrageous with his friends, guys ones, and pulled it off. Gods! He was one of the guys! Not the crazy nerd guy, just one of the guys. He felt great. Accepted and great.

Val was great at handling Lina, when it came to skirting the edge of trouble. As it turned out, she was just a little miffed that she didn't have the courage to bare it all and join them. So, she forgave them for their bit of mischief and moved on.

Ring, ring…

"Whose cellphone?" Val asked, looking vainly about the floor of the beach house for his.

"Mine," answered Zelgadiss. "Hello? Yes, it is, and you are?" Zel paused and shrugged his shoulders at Lina's questioning glance. "My advisor? Oh, for the university. You're with the Veterinary College there? I'm not in that program. Oh. I see… Well, I've been…out of town all summer. In fact, I'm at the beach now, actually so I guess I'll have to miss… Oh, I see. Um…you wouldn't be the faculty advisor for a Xelloss Metallium also, would you? Of course, you are… Well, he's here too, at the beach house where I'm staying. WHAT?! NO! What gave you that idea?! He's m-my friend and were related, kinda. Yeah, well…no…it's all right," he sighed. "So…here? You want to come here? Well, I guess…tomorrow? Oh, all right. I'll pass you over to Xelloss, now. He can give you the directions. Yeah, um…good bye then."

"Here, your turn," Zel said and tossed the phone to his friend standing nearby.

Xelloss, and everyone else, had heard enough from Zel's end of the conversation to understand the portent of things to come.

"Hi! This is Xelloss. Yeah, that would be great! Yeah, we're here with our band. Uh, huh. We're good. They are in bands, too? No, I guess that would be okay to bring them along…" Xelloss held up two fingers to Zel, indicating how many more were coming.

"And their names? Ones' a girl, huh? Sixteen? Oh…well, that's great. See ya then… Oh, yeah the directions…" Xelloss described the roads and the handed Zel his phone back.

"Well, that's interesting. He's bringing two kids, I guess they all live together or something. They're in bands too so…one's a boy and the other a girl, both sixteen," Xelloss said. "He must have to make points by meeting us face-to-face or something. So, are we going to cook hotdogs and marshmallows outside?"

Oh, yeah…for dinner, but not for lunch!

"Why did they have to be so flexible?" Zel snorted. "You'd think 'I'm away at the beach' would be enough to discourage any mere college professor, but now we've got to have lunch with him and some weird kids!"

"The more the merrier!" Xelloss smiled.

"Not when you're cooking for them!" Zel cried. Thanks, guys, for the early shopping trip in town," he sighed.

"Well, I was hungry anyway," Lina shrugged. "You never pack enough food, Zel."

"I pack enough food for normal people. It just isn't sufficient for you scary people's needs."

"Say that again!" Lina dared him, eyes flaming.

"What did you say you advisor's name is?" Amelia asked Xelloss, pleasantly.

"Oh…Seishirou something. Long Japanese name I didn't catch."

"Sakurazuka. Seishirou Sakurazuka," Zel informed her and gave Xelloss a 'I caught it!' smirk in passing.

"Him?" Amelia cried. "He's a priest for the White Shrine! Don't you know him, Xelloss?"

"No. I didn't associate with adult priests very much, mostly the novices."

"He means he only paid attention to the fe-male ones," Val snickered.

"He-ey!" Xelloss whined.

"Okay, all of you, out of the kitchen unless you want to help make deviled eggs!" Zel threatened.

At that tiny mention of work, the kitchen was empty.

"Good," he smiled.

Soon, Zel had his minions lugging the picnic that he'd slavishly created over the sand to a picturesque, and windless, location. The sky was clear and bright, the ocean sparkling; it was an absolutely gorgeous day. Perfect for a picnic and maybe a swim afterwards.

"Hey, I hauled my share so I can eat it!" Lina insisted.

Zel hovered like a nervous hen over her eggs, "NO, Lina. We're waiting and eating together."

Just then, a big white utility van, looking more like an oversized milk carton on wheels than anything else, pulled up to the house. Amelia had volunteered to stay and wait, then bring them all to the picnic spot. At the sound of the van, she opened the door and cried out, "Hello!"

In seconds, a group of four—the guests plus Amelia-the-guide—appeared on the crest of the dune that sheltered the Slayers' special picnic spot. There was a very tall figure in a green suit, presumably the advisor, and three shorter ones—two completely identical heights dressed in red and Amelia's slightly shorter little self.

"Hello, everybody!" the man called, and waved enthusiastically. He was handsome and friendly, dressed for the office with glasses that made him look sensitive and harmless, though that could have been his childishly excited expression. Amelia and one of the younger people were already getting on well, talking and laughing like old friends. The other twin was less out-going, apparently, for that one stayed behind, close to Seishirou, and looked at the others with shy curiosity.

"Waitaminute," Val whispered, "I thought there was a boy and a girl--looks like identical twin sisters to me."

"That means there's one for each of us!" Xelloss nudged Zel, who glared at him full-bore.

"The quiet one's a boy," Lina said, "so one of you is out of luck, I'd say. Hey! I'm Lina, nice to meet'cha!" she greeted the guests, shaking Seishirou and the out-going twin's hands and tipping her straw hat at the quiet one, who had a strikingly similar one in black on, himself. He smiled a little and returned the gesture with a gloved hand. "I'm the band leader, so I've gotta look out for my drummer and lead guitarist, you know?" Lina said with her twisted smile.

"Ahahahaha!" Seishirou laughed amicably. "I understand. I assure you, they'll be in good hands at the University. Isn't that right, Subaru?"

The quiet twin blushed deeply. "Y-yes, Mr. Seishirou."

Seishirou laughed again, and the other twin joined in with an ear-splitting "Ohohohoho!"

Amelia started at the familiar-sounding laugh, but relaxed. This girl certainly wasn't much like her big sister… "Miss Hokuto," she cringed.

"Oh, we're so rude!" the girl said. "Hi-ii! I'm Hokuto Sumeragi, and this is Sei-chan—that is, Seishirou Sakurazuka, and this is my brother Subaru-he's younger."

"Only by a few minutes," Subaru insisted, weakly.

"We're twins—can you tell?" she laughed, grabbing her brother by the shoulders and smiling, her beaming face right next to his own befuddled one.

"Friggin' identical!" Val choked.

"Worse than all my siblings," Gourry muttered.

"But I'm so cute, no one mistakes me for a boy!" Hokuto asserted, leaving the flagrantly obvious conclusion to be made that the twin whose gender was usually mistaken was her brother.

"I'm sure they don't!" Xelloss put in. "I'm Xelloss Metallium, the drummer."

"Ooh!" Hokuyo squealed. "I've seen you guys before! You're really good! Not as good as the Seven Seals or the Seven Harbingers, of course," she sniffed, "but still, I thought YOU were the coolest!" she told Xelloss.

That was enough for Xelloss to base a friendship on. He smiled. "So, what high school are you going to?"

"We, ah…ran into a little trouble in Atlas City," Hokuto answered.

"Yes," Seishirou interrupted. "We'll all be moving to Seyruun. I…am a long-term part of the family. So, both Subaru and Hokuto will be transferring into Seyruun High. Which is partly why I've brought them along today to meet all of you."

Amelia beamed. Now it was her turn. Time to indoctrinate the newbies, Amelia-style! "That's wonderful! I just know you're gonna love it at our high school. I'm Amelia, out-going student council member for the freshmen and sure to be one for the sophomores. My father is the Mayor of Seyruun and it's the best place to live!"

"Yeah, well, that's Amelia…one of our band's backup singers," Lina said waving Amelia off with one hand and gesturing for Gourry and Val to come closer. "As I was saying, I'm Lina Inverse, leader of the Slayers and main song-writer and singer. The high school sucks like everything else adults have a hand in, but there's lots of…well, a few okay kids there."

Lina gave them a little wink then grabbed Gourry by a hunk of his hair, "Like this one. This is Gourry, our bass player…"

Hokuto's eyes widened as he moved into sight, shading her entire body from the sun as he drew closer, the vision of a young Viking god smiling and trying to disentangle his hair from Lina's fist.

"Um…Hi..." he said.

"Hi yerself. Wow, you sure are tall, right Suuuuu-baruuuuu?" she cried out in a whiny voice.

Subaru winced. Like Xelloss and Zel, he was only average in height and quite slim. Zel sighed. He took pity on the guy. "Ah, want to come with me and get something to drink?"

"Yes," Subaru sighed with relief. "I'd like that lot…if it isn't any trouble."

"Just a minute!" Lina shouted.

Both boys froze. With an over-bearing sister like his, Subaru had the all the right responses built right in from the start, Zel noted.

"I just want ya to meet Val, our keyboardist," Lina finished. "Oh, while you're going that way, dig me out something, will ya?"

"All right," Zel and Subaru said in unison. It was said in the same tone of voice and was so perfectly timed, that everyone laughed.

The two boys looked at one another and blushed. Oh, joy…

When everyone was finding a place to settle down to eat the picnic, Xelloss gave Zel a nudge and whispered, "I'll take care of this one, Zelgadiss," he smiled and rested a hand on the new girl's shoulder. "And you can keep him occupied."

Zel frowned and nearly said something back, but thought better of it. If Xelloss wanted to listen to that girl whine and carry on about their great bands, then let him. At least Subaru was quiet. Polite and quiet. Amelia nestled over on the new boy's over side and engaged him in conversation, relieving Zelgadiss of the responsibility.

"What would you like? We've got all sorts of stuff…" Zel poked at the drinks immersed in ice.

"Um…I don't really have a preference--is that…?" the boy's emerald green eyes suddenly caught sight of something.

"It's a Frappechino, my favorite. Want one?"

"Sure!" Subaru received the coveted coffee drink, and Zel chose a Dr Pepper so that he wouldn't embarrass himself by having the same drink as this kid. He picked out an orange soda for Lina and passed Amelia a cream soda before she could ask.

"Catch." Zel threw the can to Lina like shiny warhead, and she caught it easily.

"Gotcha!" she grinned, snapped of the top and began chugging the drink with the air of a lion enjoying a kill.

Zel noticed Subaru looking a little white. "Don't worry. She's just over-bearing and loud. She's actually really smart, though, and a good friend. She won't bite you—unless you piss her off, of course, and she's got a pretty short temper… But stay clear of the subject of boyfriends and you'll probably survive your Lina experience." Zel gave the kid a wry smile, and Subaru smiled back.

"Oh, I don't mind. I'm used to girls like that…my sister, and all."

"So, uh…you're transferring to Seyruun High School?"

"Yes. It seems nice."

"Yeah, it's fine. Um…do any sports? Hobbies?"

"Well, I'm in the Seven Seals…I play alto sax. Other than that…I'm a priest with the white shrine…"

Oh, good. A priest was something Zel was certainly not, so he felt a little safer. For a minute there, the similarities were getting scary. And he didn't play guitar, either. That was a relief. "Xelloss, too…And like Seishirou?"

"Not…exactly. We're with different branches," Subaru explained. "Hokuto is sort of affiliated with it, too…it's a family thing. We're supposed to be spiritualists."

"Are you?"

Subaru nodded. "It sounds strange, but…it's reality to us. Funny, though, how it's often less religious than it is practical…"

"Well, that's sort of the Seyruun way, so I'm sure you'll fit in great!" Amelia cheered.

"Thank you," Subaru said, blushing.

"Oh, look, they're getting into my beautiful food," Zel sighed. "Come on, let's go have something before Lina and Gourry eat it all."

"You made all this?" Subaru asked, awestruck, as they sat down to the picnic.

"Yes. Cooking is my secret talent," Zel said.

"Yeah, that's his SECRET one. Guitar-playing, singing, fencing, computer-programming, poetry-writing, and drawing are just his OBVIOUS talents," Xelloss giggled.

"Wow, you're so cool!" Hokuto squealed. "Subaru! How come you don't do anything interesting, huh?"

"Ho-hokuto…" Subaru stuttered, and nearly dropped his chicken curry sandwich.

"Ahahahaha!" Seishirou laughed. "Subaru does enough with the band and his spiritual duties, don't you think? He's awfully busy."

"Do you cook?" Zel asked.

"N-no…Hokuto likes to do that…."

"I looove cooking!" Hokuto said. "I'm really into anything fancy—French cuisine is the best!"

"When you don't burn it," Seishirou added.

"Sei-chan!" she whined, and he laughed.

"I wanna hit the water again. Maybe do some waves," Val announced when he'd finished eating. "You game, dude?"

"Bodysurfing? Yeah," smiled Gourry wistfully. Eating and play. Good plan.

Zel noticed that the kid beside him winced at the thought. He glanced over him briefly. Pale as rice, completely covered in a red trench-coat and strange hat—he even wore gloves, for gods-sakes! Zel figured he must have a skin problem, or worse, and wouldn't want to go in the water. He wasn't too comfortable showing much skin around the newcomers himself.

"Ah, I'm up for a card game indoors, if you're interested…" Zel suggested.

"Oh, yes!" Subaru squeaked too quickly. "I'd really like that!" Embarrassed at revealing too much excitement, he added warily, "I'm quite good at cards and I need to get out of the sun."

Zel nodded and began to pack up the remains of lunch. Xelloss was on the trash pickup, tidying up quickly.

Val chuckled and said in a low tone so that only Gourry could hear him, "And you thought they didn't get any girlier than those two," he nodded towards Xelloss and Zel. Gourry smiled and looked around for Lina.

She was already ripping off her hat and t-shirt cover up. Yep, she was going swimming, too. "Um…" Gourry said.

Val followed his eyes out to sea. Lina, Amelia, and the new Hokuto visitor were preparing for the water. "Yeah, I get yer drift…view's better out that way, heh, heh…."

"There!" Xelloss said, delivering the last of the garbage to a trash receptacle. "What would you like to do?" he asked the pretty girl pointedly.

Hokuto laughed and yanked off her top and kicked off her shorts revealing the tiniest bikini that was legal, in bright blaring pink, with red lip patterns adorning it. Xelloss had no idea what to say next, so he just stood and gaped.

Lina gave him a swift kick.

Hokuto grabbed Xelloss by the hand and giggled, "I'll show you the way! Subaru never likes to do anything!"

As they pounded through the sand to the water's edge, Lina commented to Zel as he picked up the picnic baskets and started to leave, "I thought you said Xelloss couldn't swim!"

"That's what he told me," Zel said.

"Well, he does now, I guess," Lina said.

Zel sighed, "He'll probably drown, especially wearing that long t-shirt when the waves catch it."

Lina looked narrowly at him, "So, I should go save him? Is that what you think?"

"Do what you want, Lina. I'm going in to play cards. Hey, Subaru, give me a hand with that cooler, all right?" Zel said and marched off.

Xelloss wisely stopped at the edge of the water and danced and hopped over the waves. Hokuto was built along the lines of Lina, slender and boyish, also brash and outgoing like Lina, though sweet-cute like Amelia…yeah, Xelloss found lots to admire about this new girl.

Subaru sighed and turned away from his sister and picked up his end of the cooler. "You wouldn't have a sister too, would you?" he asked.

"No," Zel answered as hefted his end and started back to the house. "I was an only child until…last December, when my father married Xelloss' mother and then, Val was fostered in a month later."

"Oh, my…I guess that was…it could be good…"

Zel shook his head, "I thought it was terrible, at first, but now…we're moving in together, Val's remodeled place, by choice…just the three of us."

"No parents? Wow…that's kind of like us. Seishirou works and we all three look out for one another now that our parents are all…gone," Subaru said in a hollow tone.

"My father's alive, but neither Xelloss or Val have living parents any more. Lina lives with an older sister, Amelia with her dad, the mayor of Seyruun. Gourry is the normal one with both parents and a liter of younger siblings…and Filia has a normal family, too, but she's not here today," Zel explained as they finally reached the house.

Zel showed him where to leave the cooler, then led the boy into the living room. Picking up a deck of cards, Zel asked, "So…what do you want to play?"

"Um…anything!" Subaru said, then added politely. "Anything you like!"

Zel nodded and started dealing, "We can start with Gin, then."

Subaru watched the odd looking young man deal out the cards with his long-fingered, slightly scarred hands. The scars were visible up his arms, disappearing into sleeves of his t-shirt. One eye was partially covered by the most amazing lavender-gray, wiry hair that he'd ever seen. When Zelgadiss swept a lock out of his face, Subaru noticed the fine pointed ears sporting earrings and more scarring on his cheek and down his neck. He guessed that his long cargoes covered up more on his legs.

Zelgadiss looked up and caught the other boy staring. Subaru blushed instantly, embarrassed at being caught gawking. "D-Does it hurt you?" he asked with sincere worry.

"What? Oh, this…" he realized the boy was talking about his scars. Hurt? Why would he ask that? "It's all right," Zel sighed. "It's not contagious or anything. My father's chemical lab blew up and I was in the wrong place. My friends…treat me like I'm normal-looking so I sometimes just forget how horrible I must appear to others."

"Oh no!" Subaru said quickly. "I-It's not that! I'm sorry if it seemed like I was staring rudely, but I'm used to having to observe people..." That sounded awkward enough! Subaru picked up his hand and looked over the cards. "Normal is relative, anyway. Normal for me certainly isn't normal for most people. I-I mean, here I am at the beach in a hat and coat and gloves."

Zel looked up from his cards. "Well, I guess we both fit in with this crowd. We've got crazy hair colors, scars, fashion statements, and convoluted family relationships. And that's only the superficial stuff!"

"This is certainly a very unique group. I'll take…two cards, please?" Subaru asked politely.

Zel nodded and dealt the kid two new cards, "I'll stay."

Subaru smiled, "Hmmm, I-I don't know you very well, but I'd say…you are pretty good at covering up what you're thinking… Oh! I'm sorry…really! I didn't mean to call you a liar, or anything!"

"Relax…it's only a card game," Zel frowned slightly at his hand and sighed. This poor kid was a nervous wreck. "Well? It's your turn, draw or something…"

After a half an hour, both boys had traded wins and losses and stood even, regardless of the game selected. Zelgadiss had met his equal in concentration, card counting, and strategy. Xelloss was good, too, but he relied on sly and cunning moves to win as much as raw skill.

"Wow! Are you guy still playing cards?" Gourry asked by the door. He was hosing the sand off his feet and legs on the wooden back deck.

"Yes. Are you still getting wet and sandy?" Zel returned.

"Um…I'm pretty dry now, 'cept for my hair… Um…I'm gonna wash it then…" Gourry paused, then looked around to see if anyone was paying attention. No one was, so he smiled and dropped what he decided he didn't want to say after all. He discarded the hose then loped into the house and down the short hallway to the bathroom, stripping off his trunks as he went.

Shortly thereafter, Lina, Amelia, and Hokuto clamored into the front room.

"So where's 'studly'? I'm fixin' his hair so it won't get so tangly," Hokuto said in a loud voice. "Oooo, cards! Who's winning?"

"No one," muttered Zel.

"W-We both are!" Subaru said in a shaky voice.

Zel gave Lina an odd look, "If you are looking for Gourry, he's taking a shower. Ah, there, water's off he'll be out in a minute…or not…"

"Zeeeeeeeeeeeel?" Gourry's muffled voice called from behind the bathroom door.

Zel set down his cards and walked quickly to the door, "Yes? Clothes? Towel, too? You know, Lina's here, why don't I get her to bring you some…just kidding, Gourry. Just a minute." Zel smiled and shook his head, then rifled through a hall closet for towels and Gourry's big green bag for a pair of shorts.

Knock, knock!

"Gourry? Open up…here…yeah, sure. No problem."

When Zelgadiss returned to the front room, he found Amelia entertaining the odd boy and his sister with stories about some of their school experiences from the year before.

Subaru was listening wide-eyed, while Hokuto was laughing aloud. "Sounds like I'm gonna like Seyruun High," she grinned as Xelloss hopped into the room on one foot. The other foot he held in a towel as he tried to dry it and join the group around the cards. His shiny hair bobbed as he bounced gracefully, ending in a fancy dance routine. She clapped him on the shoulder as he settled on the floor next to her.

Lina looked at Hokuto and Gourry through narrowing eyes. Hokuto had taken on Gourry's hair as her project, running her fingers through the great lengths to loosen the knots then combing it slick. It appeared that she was going to braid it in back, like that kid at school…Lina's brain cranked over to remember his name…Duo! Huh, well if Gourry doesn't mind, why should she?

Her eyes slid over to Xelloss, and she asked, "You're only going to be there after lunch, right Xelloss?"

"Ah…huh? Oh, you're asking me about classes at the university. I guess so. Where's that Seishirou guy? Oh, we're all in here!" Xelloss waved to the older man standing in the doorway.

"I can see that. I just went out for some cigarettes…Mind if I smoke?" the older man waved a pack in the air.

"YES!" sounded a chorus of kids.

Val, who was last to get the sand washed off added for his benefit, "None of them smoke and I've been tryin' to quit."

Seishirou held up his hands in defeat. "Fine, then…."

"Do you know anything about our schedules?" Xelloss asked.

Seishirou nodded, then pulled out a folder and read off the top paper. "Yes, both of you have the same classes…Math 150 and Chemistry 101 starting at 8:15 M, W, and F. There's some time in-between classes and they're over around 11 or 11:30, it says here. Chemistry labs are on Tuesday at the same time and take 3-4 hours. There's a bus to bring you back to the high school in time for lunch and the rest of your classes. Thursday you're off. Just show up at the high school in time for your afternoon classes."

"No kidding?" Hokuto gasped. "Are you guys, like, geniuses or something?"

Val entered the room and slouched into an over-stuffed chair, "Nerd-dudes…"

Xelloss smiled, "Not really. We just had some time on our hands and spent it studying instead of partying."

"Ya mean, hidin' in hospitals and bein' real an-ti-so-cial," Val grumbled.

Lina kicked him hard enough to get his attention. He slid his eyes her way and she shot him a flame-edged ruby-eyed warning signal 'don't go there…'

"Well, Subaru and Hokuto can understand all that, right?" Seishirou gave them a knowing look. "There isn't much to do in a hospital but read. Too bad my patients don't enjoy books the same way people do!" he laughed again.

"Subaru, why don't you tell everybody's fortunes?" Hokuto spoke up. "You've got a deck of cards right there and all!"

"I-I don't think they would be interested, Hokuto…" he stuttered.

"Sure we would!" Lina said. "You tell fortunes with playing cards? I thought you only use Tarot cards for that kind of stuff."

"No, you can use pretty much anything to tell the future, if you understand the signs," Seishirou said, cryptically.

Val bristled. "That's weird comin' from a vet," he said, gruffly.

"One way to tell the future is from entrails," Lina said, eyes glimmering. "Maybe that's why—"

"Pretty creepy!" Seishirou smiled. "But no, I'm a priest, so there are mystical-seeming things I have to know about."

"This fortune-telling is a practice passed down in the Sumeragi family for centuries," Subaru said, quietly, shuffling the cards in a new way.

"I wish my family went back for centuries!" Amelia said. "It would be so cool to be able to have family traditions from ages past—like Filia and the clan! Maybe you have traditions, Val. We could find out from old records—"

"Not interested. I don't care 'bout that stuff. Just 'cause some old dead guy who's related to me did something doesn't mean I have to do it."

"I agree," Seishiro said, unexpectedly. "Traditions shouldn't be burdens. Besides, some traditions are better off forgotten."

Val looked over at Gourry-- who was sitting, back to Hokuto, chin to his chest, and half asleep—then over at Xelloss. "Hey, yer a priest. You learn that fortune-tellin' shit?"

Xelloss shook his head and mouthed a silent, "Noooooooo."

"Wh-who's first?" Subaru asked in a gasp, changing the subject.

"Lina!" answered at least three different people.

"I-I see," Subaru smiled nervously and looked down at his hands. Lina scooted closer to him.

After a quick examination, she decided that he had eyelashes longer than the horse she'd ridden at Filia's settlement, and a delicate beauty she wouldn't wish upon any teenage guy. And why the hell did he wear gloves all the time? This guy was doomed.

He turned over a few cards and frowned slightly in concentration. "Um… Your past is filled with many faces…you are used to controlling events and other people…um…like a complicated balancing act, but then…your future…I see you fleeing…no, that's not quite right…ah…being hounded by many people."

"She finally flipped and the feds are after her!" Xelloss laughed.

"Or she's bein' chased by an angry mob…" Val suggested.

"Oh! T-that's not as bad as it seems, I feel no terror from you, Miss Lina! It could be fans, or paparazzi… And, um…that's it," the young fortune-teller added breathlessly, as if the entire ordeal of speaking uninterrupted winded him.

"Me next!" cried Amelia while taking his hand and squeezing it excitedly and jumping up and down.

"Ah, settle down, little girl," Val scoffed. "Yer getting the kid all upset." He chuckled a bit under his breath to Gourry, "Wanna bet he faints, too?"

Subaru cleared his throat and flashed his bright green eyes over at Amelia, "Okay then…your past…" Subaru nodded, "This means…tragic loss at an early age." His voice shook, "I-I'm only reading the cards…I'm sorry if I've upset you."

"Oh, don't worry, Subaru," Amelia told him in a gentle tone. "My mother died when I was younger and it was…terrible, but I've learned to cope. Especially since…" she cut off her words to look around at the others with equally or far more horrible events and losses in their pasts to overcome. "I'm very fortunate in so many ways."

He drew some courage from her warm smile and continued, "Ah…then for your future, it…finds…you filled with excitement and tension, too," he added quickly. "…in front of an audience of many people."

"Looks like you'll be wowing the citizens with speeches after all!" Lina laughed. "Do Gourry next, he's got to have a bright future!"

Following her orders without question, Subaru shuffled the deck and carefully turned over four cards and laid them face up. He smiled, then said, "You are correct, Miss Lina. Mr. Gourry, I can feel your warmth, caring, and giving—past, present and future. A-And…the cards show you building a strong foundation in the future. I-I don't know if that's literal or figurative, but…"

"That means he can't tell if you're laying an actual foundation for a house or the basis for your whole life…or something like that," Lina interjected. Gourry nodded.

Subaru smiled, closing his eyes to avoid the weight of explanation.

Zel checked his watch. "Now, if you'd all stop interrupting the guy," Zel admonished the group. "He could get finished before they have to go."

"Do his future," Lina ordered and pointing her tiny finger at Zelgadiss.

"O-Okay…um…Oh…" his face fell.

"What is it?" Lina pressed.

"Such loneliness…in the past," Subaru covered his face with a gloved hand and composed himself a moment. His slender body shuddered a bit, then he returned his attention to appraising the cards' portent.

B-But the future is very interesting!" Subaru said, his face brightening. "Oh, yes! Mazes, um…puzzles to solve to complete a quest and questions with answers…right around the corner."

Zel sat and silently pondered the fellow's words. Yes, loneliness described his past succinctly. But his future?

"Who's next?" he asked.

"Oh, do him—the punk hunk!" Hokuto urged.

"But I don't wanna—" Val began, but Lina gave him a warning look that cooled him down. "Ah, ya can skip me, if yer wanna take a break or somethin'," he suggested weakly.

"Oh, no!" Subaru looked up eyes wide. "I'm sorry, I'll be just fine. I need to reshuffle a moment."

"All r-right, now Mr. Val?" Subaru smiled. "How…beautiful…"

"Huh? Where?" Val leaned over and scanned the cards for something beautiful. "There had better be a girl in there," he added with a smirk.

Subaru blushed and coughed, "A-Actually…there's all this golden light and… your future and your past are intertwined like a golden chain."

"Oh? Ya see all that in those cards, eh?" Val asked. "I see the queen of hearts and a bunch of diamonds. Sounds like money in the bank fer me!" he chuckled.

"Well, there's that, too," Subaru smiled. He picked up the cards and again shuffled the deck. "You're the last?"

"Oh, I usually am!" Xelloss smiled good-naturedly. "At least I'm included!"

Subaru returned his smile, pulled four cards off the top of the deck, and laid them out. He stared. He shook his head and pulled off another four, then another. Three more tries and his eyes rose to meet Xelloss' in bewilderment. "I-I…" he stuttered to wordlessness.

"HA!" Val chuckled. "Na-tur-al-lee. There ain't nothin' but secrets fer the chaos-kid!"

Subaru gasped, "H-How did you know t-that?!" He was trembling so much that he dropped the rest of the deck onto the floor.

"'Cause that's Xelloss Metallium," Val snorted. "Created out of the chaos…a pro-duct of the two most powerful symbols of dis-order, dis-cord, and dis-pair. Shit, didn't ya know that, mystic-boy?"

Zel shot him an icy glare seconds before Lina whaled on him with a fist, followed by and a good sharp kick.

"Well, if you're all done with that," Seishirou said, "why don't you tell the Slayers a little about yourselves?" What he knew about the syndicate and the Metallium name, he wouldn't say, but he knew the two kids he brought with him that day knew nothing—and it should stay that way. His cellphone beeped, forcing him to step away for a few minutes to take the call.

"Sure! Hey, ask me anything you want and I'll tell you!" Hokuto offered, modestly.

"Where did you go to school before? I know some kids in Atlas City," Amelia asked.

"Actually…" Subaru said, and Hokuto cut him off.

"We didn't go to school. We were home-schooled at the shrine there, by our Grandmother."

"The shrine there…?"

"Well, it used to be there, but it was destroyed by vandals somehow! That's partially why we came here," Hokuto explained.

The entire Slayers group gulped in unison, which sounded something like a giant frog cannon-balling into a pond full of algae.

"We went to Atlas City once—" Xelloss piped up.

"For a recording session," Lina finished for him.

"Wow, do you have a CD coming out?" Hokuto asked.

"Well, not exactly…" Lina trailed off. "Anyway, enough about us…"

It was quick-save Xelloss time! "You two…are you identical? Isn't that impossible?" Xelloss asked. "I mean, I'm not a genetics professor, but…"

"Probably," Seishirou said, "but Hokuto isn't one to let genetics boss her around, right?" he laughed a little, and so did the girl.

"That's right! Move over, science, the Sumeragi family are spiritualists! Can't touch us! Ohohohoho!" Hokuto agreed.

"So, your clothes," Amelia said. "They're pretty unique…"

They certainly were. The shorts and shirt that Hokuto had been wearing over her bathing suit were no mere cut-offs and T-shirt. Red seemed to be the twins' color-scheme for the day. Hokuto's shorts were shiny vinyl with black lace trim, and the shirt was a mandarin-collared Chinese garment with golden and sable dragons embroidered on the crimson satin, and her sandals were red plastic with giant hearts on the cross-strap.

Subaru, who'd previously been covered entirely by a red trench coat, had chosen that unfortunate moment to over-heat and decide to unbutton it. To everyone's astonishment and horror, the shy, introverted boy was dressed dubiously in a tight, black, sleeveless vinyl bodysuit with a mock-turtle collar. With his funny hat and black gloves, he looked utterly surreal. Everyone turned to look at him, and he froze with the air of a deer caught in the headlights. "Our c-clothes?" he repeated.

Hokuto laughed and threw herself at her brother. "I'm a fashion designer!" she informed them. "Well, an aspiring one. I do all the costume design for the bands, and of course I model it myself!" she grinned. "I'm so lucky to have a brother who the same size as me! That way I can make clothes for guys and girls without having to hire anyone to do measurements! And of course he wears the clothes I make for him."

"Ahhh!" everyone nodded with enlightenment. That explained many things…but still, for such a shy boy to be dressed like that…

Xelloss, not to be caught speechless, cheerfully asked. "So, Subaru, what about those…accessories?"

"Why do I wear gloves, you mean?" Subaru smiled and looked down at his hands.

"They're not just for fashion!" Hokuto said.

"A superstition. My grandmother warned me never to take them off because…"

"Well, it's a long story, but when one's grandmother is as important a spiritualist as ours, you listen to her!" Hokuto asserted.

"I was just hoping they weren't a fashion statement!" Xelloss chuckled. "You're dressed pretty flashy for someone as soft-spoken as you are—or are you only like this with people you don't know well?"

Subaru blushed crimson.

Amelia punched Xelloss on the arm, "You're one to talk! You're just the opposite."

Before Xelloss had a chance to argue the point further, Seishirou intervened. "Excuse me, kids, but it seems I am being called away on an emergency at the Animal hospital."

Both Hokuto and Subaru's face fell. She let out a groan, "Oh! This always happens when we try and go somewhere!"

"Well, would it be possible for them to stay here with you kids?" the older man asked, looking over from Zel to Lina for an impression.

"Yeah, no sweat," Lina said. "Plenty of room, right guys?"

Xelloss was about to say something about the bed count on the boy's side, but one flaming glare from Lina canceled that attempt. "Oh yes!" he smiled.

Val started to grumble under his breath, but caught himself before he received another Lina left hook.

Amelia was already chattering excitedly about a trip to town for toothbrushes. "But I bet Miss Hokuto could borrow one of your t-shirts to sleep in, Mr. Xelloss. And, Zelgadiss? Mr. Subaru is just your size!"

"Oh, joy…" Zel sighed to himself. It was not lost on him that Amelia had dropped the formal 'Mr.' from his name, either. It warned him that she was indicating 'hands off' to the new girl. Oh, Gods….

~*~ End, Seyruun Summer High Jinx Special, Part Fifteen. ~*~