Chapter 2
Val gazed out the open window in the back of the shop up at the black clouds that shrouded the sky. Thunder echoed in the distance and the moist cool breeze that ruffled his hair spoke of the impending rain. Filia hadn't attempted to speak to him since the other day's outburst, instead leaving him to his own thoughts, which Val was pleased about. A lightning bolt rent the sky in two, illuminating everything in blinding light for a split second and then fading, the sound following moments later. The rain then began to fall in heavy drops, pounding on the roof. Filia walked into the room seeing Val standing with the window open, the rain blowing into the house.
"Val! What are you doing? You're letting the rain in!" Filia said, quicking moving between him and then window, slamming it shut. She turned on him, putting her hands on her hips and waiting for an explanation. Val gave her a sneering expression and turned to walk away.
"Val! You come back here! I've put up with this behavior of yours up until now but I want an explanation. Now sit down!" Filia ordered, grabbing Val's wrist. He turned to face her, his lips almost curling into a snarl. He stood, glaring at her for a long moment and then sighed, pulling out of her grip and sitting down in a chair, his arms hanging loosely at his sides.
"You haven't eaten for days, you won't talk to me, you won't tell me what's wrong with you. I want you to explain what all this is about." Filia said, walking over.
"What's wrong with me? So you immediately blame me because you can't figure out what to do? That's a loving parent for you." Val spat and Filia clenched her fists in indignance, unable to believe what her adopted son had just said.
"I didn't mean it that way. All I meant was if you won't tell me what's bothering you I can't fix it." Filia replied. Val sighed and rolled his eyes a moment before meeting her gaze.
"How typical of you, Filia! You think that everything has to be fixed or else your perfect little contrived world won't run smoothly. I don't talk to you because rather than just listening you try to fix everything. How do you even know that something's bothering me? You just assumed that something must be because I've stopped acting like your perfect son." Val said venomously. Filia couldn't help but glare at Val, her temper rising at his words.
"You will not speak to me that way, Val!" she replied, raising her voice.
"Oh I can't? What are you going to do about it, Filia?" Val asked, challenging her. In one stroke Filia raised her arm and struck Val across the face.
"Stop it! You're getting out of hand!" Filia said, her voice hightened. Val's head was turned to one side, his eyes wide with shock at Filia's outburst. He raised a hand slowly to the reddening mark on his face, the sting from the blow still searing his skin. He gritted his teeth and dropped his hand, glaring at Filia. Getting to his feet he balled his fists at his sides, drawing a deep breath and trying to keep himself composed within reason.
"If you ever lay a hand on me in that manner again I will strike you back! You say I'm getting out of control?! Well what in Cephied's name did you think you were doing just now! I've had it up to here with you nagging me and bothering me! I've had enough!" Val yelled, and then spun on his heel walking towards the front of the shop.
"Val! Come back here!" Filia yelled, running after him. She tried to grab onto his arm but he jerked it upwards, shaking her loose. He shoved open the front door roughly, striding out into the rain and gazing about at the empty street. He screamed loudly and then allowed his form to shift, skin transforming into black scales as his face elongated and wings sprouted from his back. Filia stood in the shop door, watching Val assume his full form in terror of what he might do.
"Please Val! Stop this!" she yelled into the howling wind. The ancient dragon turned it's glistening black head, opening it's jaws and roaring in protest before beating it's immense wings and taking flight, quickly passing from Filia's range of vision. Val watched the ground below him, seeing the town beneath him and then the damp earth as he soared beyond the city and out toward the wildnerness. He gave another loud roar, his voice in dragon form echoing for miles. He beat his rainsoaked wings, soaring onward through the darkness of the storm. He noted a small cave set into the rocky face of a plateau which was surrounded by lush green trees. Swooping down he landed, crushing several trees under his weight. His form slowly shrank and changed until his human appearance had resumed itself. He looked upward at the sky, the cold rain splattering on his skin and making him shiver from the cold. He strode toward the small cave, sitting down inside it and resting. He sighed, trying to ease the anger that still boiled beneath the surface. A shifting sound alerted Val to the presance of another within the cave and he got to his feet, facing the back of the cave.
"No need to take the offensive." a smooth voice said and from the shadows stepped a youthful looking male, his lean smiling face framed by his amethyst colored hair.
"Who are you!?" Val spat, taking a step back as the other male moved a bit closer.
"Me? My name is Xellos, but you needn't worry about me. I won't harm you, or fight you for that matter. I'm just here to sit and wait out the storm." the violet haired individual said, moving to sit against the adjacent wall.
"Well, you're certainly not the typical person. What the hell is someone like you doing out here in the rain?" Val asked, keeping his guard up but sitting down.
"Heh, I might as the same of you, Val." Xellos replied and Val straightened a bit at the use of his name.
"How did you know my name?!" he asked intensely eyeing Xellos.
"I know lots of things." Xellos replied enigmatically and opened his eyes a moment, smirking at the ancient dragon.
"Whatever... Don't tell me then. Look you, I'm really in no mood to chat." Val said, narrowing his eyes.
"Okay then." Xellos said and then fished in his pack pulling out two apples and a small knife. He smiled and then began to peel one apple, nonchalantly gazing around occasionally. Val's stomach burned after several days from lack of food but he refused to look at Xellos or ask him for the other apple. After a moment Xellos looked up at Val and picked up the other apple, tossing it at Val who caught it, giving him a perplexed look.
"I see you're not going to ask for this so I'll just give it to you." Xellos replied and resumed peeling his apple. Val raised an eyebrow at Xellos and the looked at the apple in his right hand. He gave the fruit a suspicious look for a moment, smelled it, looked it over once more before finally taking a bite.
"Thanks... I guess." Val said solemnly and Xellos nodded. Val quickly ate the apple, his suppressed hunger rising after days of eating nothing.
"You were awfully hungry." Xellos said in an amused sort of tone, gaining a glare from the ancient dragon. Val yawned and stared at the entrance of the cave, watching the rain blow. As he let his mind drift memories of his nightmares floated to the surface of his mind and he shuddered, the images burning themselves into his thoughts. Xellos, having eaten the apple he'd been previously peeling slipped the small knife back into his bag and watched Val intently.
"So, what made you come out here in the rain? It's not exactly pleasant weather to be traveling in." Xellos queried. Val snapped out of his reverie, turning to look at Xellos. He considered saying something harsh to the violet haired man but then changed his mind, deciding on telling Xellos the truth.
"Why the hell not? I got sick of my mother nagging me every single second so I left. I had to get away from her." Val said.
"Ah..." Xellos intoned, nodding slightly. Val sighed and crossed his arms, reclining a bit more relaxed against the cavern wall.
"So, Filia's still the same as ever?" Xellos asked.
"You know my mother?" Val replied, meeting Xellos' gaze a bit warily.
"Don't worry. I'm not going to go tell on you or anything. I met her by chance while traveling and under various circumstances we were forced to work together. She never liked me a bit." Xellos said and Val smirked.
"To answer your question I suppose she is the same as when you two met if you mean that she's prim and proper and perfect." Val replied.
"Yep, that's Filia all right." Xellos said cheerfully. Val sighed and looked away again, listening to the rain falling. Xellos' gaze became solemn as he watched the young ancient dragon.
'He doesn't remember anything...' Xellos thought to himself.
"The thing is... She keeps trying to fix me because she doesn't like my behavior of late. And it seems that every time I go near her I get angry and the images in my nightmare flood my mind." Val said quietly. Xellos blinked at Val's words and then smiled slightly, realizing that Val's memory was not gone but buried.
"Nightmare?" Xellos asked, sounding intrigued.
"Yeah... It's stupid really." Val sighed, averting his eyes slightly.
"Oh come on, tell me." Xellos prodded. Val rolled his eyes and then turned his face to Xellos who was watching him.
"Fine, but I'm telling you it's stupid. Ever since I can remember I've had this nightmare about other dragons like me being killed brutally by golden dragons. The golden dragons kill them all, even the eggs and the hatchlings, and then they chase me and chase me. Then at that point I usually wake up covered in sweat and crying. The nighmares have always haunted me but lately they've been really prominent. I think about it all the time. Filia has told me before that the nightmares are just figments of my imagination so I don't know why I let it get to me so badly..." Val said, waiting for a reaction from Xellos. Xellos looked shocked at Val's words, his expression shifting quickly to a solemn one.
"You mean Filia never told you Val?" Xellos asked, opening his eyes to regard Val seriously.
"Never told me what?" Val asked, confused by Xellos' words. Xellos rested his face in his palms sighing deeply a moment before lowering his hands to meet Val's impatient gaze.
"What was she thinking lying? Did she think she could hide the truth from you?" Xellos mused and Val started to grow overly impatient.
"What are you talking about!? Just spit it!" Val demanded.
"Okay, okay... I just wish I didn't have to be the one to set you straight because it's all quite a sorted affair. When Filia told you that your nightmares were only imaginary she was lying to you. Those are your memories from your past life." Xellos said. Val blinked at him, disbelief etching itself on his face.
"No way, you're kidding me!" Val replied, grinning slightly and waiting for the violet haired male to do the same and tell him it was all a big hoax.
"I'm not Val. Everything in your nightmares really happened. All the other ancient dragons really are dead and you are truly the very last of your race." Xellos said darkly. Val's expression sobered as he realized that Xellos wasn't joking at all.
"Why would she lie to me though? And what do you mean by past life?" Val asked.
"Okay, give me a minute because there's a lot to explain considering you've forgotten everything. Before you were reborn you were yourself in a previous life. When you were a child your race was massacred by the golden dragons. After that you were chased until you were about the age you are now. Nearing death you encountered one of my race named Gaav." Xellos said. Val held up a hand to interrupt him and Xellos waited patiently for his question.
"Your race? You mean you're not a human?" Val asked and Xellos grinned.
"No, I am not. I am a mazoku." Xellos said and recognition lit Val's eyes.
"Filia told me about mazoku briefly once as a warning. She said mazoku were a dangerous filthy race and that I should avoid them at all costs, but you don't seem like her description at all. Truthfully if what you're telling me is true than you're more truthful than her." Val said and Xellos nodded.
"Yes, Filia does have a great dislike for my kind but I'll explain that once I finish with your past. When you met Gaav you were near death and he saved you in a sense by killing you and resurrecting you as the mazoku Valgaav. At one point Gaav was killed and you took it upon yourself to kill the one who killed him and the destroy the world by summoning the dark overworld god Darkstar by gathering the five Darkstar weapons. After several small insignificant events it came to a point where under orders from my master to kill you I had to fight you. Truly nothing personal on my part Val, it was just business then..." Xellos said.
"You fought me to try to kill me?" Val asked and Xellos nodded.
"Yes... Of course you quite held your own! You injured me pretty badly, cutting a gash in me all the way down my right side from shouder to foot." Xellos said and Val smirked slightly.
"So, in this supposed previous life I kicked your ass?" Val asked, and Xellos shook his head grinning.
"Indeed. Anyway, moving on... After acquiring the two Darkstar weapons necessary to summon Darkstar you did just that. Of course the insane dark god devoured you at that point. For a while the last three Darkstar weapons were sought out, the last of them being the bow of light that your race had tried to protect from the golden dragons. I'll explain about that in a moment but I'm almost done with explaining your past. After the group of individuals I was working with aquired the five Darkstar weapons we broke up Darkstar's power so that when he escaped into this world it wouldn't be so invincible. It turned out though that Darkstar hadn't killed you but absorbed you. Unfortunately the result of your mind fusing with that of Darkstar and Volphied who Darkstar had also absorbed you went mad. It took everything my companions and I had but we did destroy Darkstar. We presumed you dead until from the sky descended your egg which Filia then took it upon herself to raise as a sort of way for her to make up for her race's atrocities." Xellos said. Val stared at him, feeling that his words were true even though they sounded so strange.
"Wow... So that was my former life... What about the couple things you mentioned you'd explain like why Filia hates your kind and why the golden dragons killed all the ancient dragons?" Val queried, almost overwhelmed as it was by all the information Xellos had delivered.
"I suppose I'd better explain Filia first because that will help me explain what happened to the ancient dragons more clearly. One thousand years ago a war broke out between the gods and the mazoku, the servants of both sides coming to clash in a mighty battle. You of course understand that in a war there are casualties and each side fends for themselves to defend their cause. I was in that war and in that time I killed thousands of golden dragons. It wasn't something I particuarly cared to do but as usual it was under the orders of my master. The golden dragons have never forgiven me or my race after that time, though it's not like they didn't kill their fair share of my kind in the proscess. They liked to pretend that their breed were the only victims." Xellos said.
"Well... You did kill lots of her race but as you said that was in a war and in that context I can't see why that would merit such hate toward you." Val replied. Xellos shrugged and prepared to continue.
"I don't really understand Filia's race. They always were a little odd. Now, the massacre of the ancient dragons however was an atrocity. Your race was a neurtal one who chose not to participate in the war. Your race also possessed the strongest Darkstar weapon, the bow of light. Of course the golden dragons, already incensed by the fact that your race wouldn't fight demanded that the ancient dragons hand over the Darkstar weapon. In response to the golden dragons demands your race sealed the weapon away with a powerful spell that only an ancient dragon or the combined powers of holy and demonic powers could break it. Angered by the ancient dragons actions the golden dragons made war on the ancient dragons, killing every single one of them except you." Xellos explained.
"How could they? That's just... It's..." Val replied, finding himself unable to suppy the word to characterize what the golden dragons did to the ancient dragons.
"Terrible, isn't it? Sadly your former life was a miserable one, it's fortunate that you got a second chance." Xellos said, and shifted where he sat so that he was leaning a bit more comforably.
"I can't believe Filia let me go on thinking that my nightmares were all a dream..." Val said, drawing his knees up to his chest so that he could rest his head on them.
"That was rather malicious of her to try and pretend that the past never happened, I guess it made her feel like she could live with herself. Rather pathetic if you ask me." Xellos replied, turning his gaze to the entrance of the cave, realizing that rain had stopped falling and it was just starting to clear overhead. Xellos watched Val for a long time before finally speaking up again.
"It's not raining any more. Do you suppose you should be heading home?" Xellos asked.
"Home? What, to a liar? Why should I go back there to Filia after she so blatantly lied to me?" Val replied, raising his gaze to Xellos.
"I didn't say go home and apologize, did I? All I meant was that it might be a good idea for you to go home before Filia does something stupid and comes looking for you herself." Xellos replied and Val sighed.
"I guess you're right." Val replied, and then watched as Xellos got to his feet.
"Where are you going?" Val asked, getting up himself.
"I thought that if it doesn't bother you I might come along. I'm curious to see what Filia will think about me turning up after all these years." Xellos replied, grinning at Val.
"It's fine with me if you want to come along but won't it make Filia mad if you show up?" Val asked.
"Exactly. That's half the fun!" Xellos said and winked at Val who laughed slightly.