Chapter 2 - Torments of the Nonexsistant Heart -

He lay in bed for hours as the sun rose, shaking off a sleep he didn't usually need. Sleep, true human sleep,

was becomming more and more frequent and needed of late. It was a fact that left him unnerved to say the least. Mazoku

rarely, if at all, ever slept. For him to be sleeping like this night after night, something had to be wrong. Sighing

sadly to himself, a forced realization invaded his mind. He didn't need the sleep. He wanted it. No, he craved it. Like

every mazoku craved the negative emotions of humans, he craved the dreams that came to him each time he closed his eyes.

He reveled in the sights of such an impossible place. The smells, the sounds. Things he knew could not possibly exsist,

yet for him to dream them so strongly, he knew the must. And the woman. So perfect, like a being created from chaos itself.

He could feel her breath every time he dreamed. So warm, so inviting, and so terribly...human. Her eyes were beautiful,

like the dawn of a stormy morning. Her hair shining like moonbeams on crimson silk. Her so pale skin, flawless and touched

by the reverent kisses of the moon. She was beauty incarnate. A goddess more perfect than L-sama herself. Not that he would

voice that opinion out loud, but an opinion he could not change. Not willingly at least.

Sighing softly to himself he turned in the massive bed to study the light comming in through the open doors of the

balcony. The patterns of the golden beams dancing on the marble floor made him envision his lovely dream goddess bathed in

those same beams. Surrounded by lush, full pillows, his goddess lounging upon them languidly. The warm beams caressing her

flawless, pale flesh as he bathed her youthful form in tender, yet passionate kisses. Growling softly he closes his mind to

the vision. This woman, this unreal and thus unattainable woman, kept tormenting him. HIM! The destroyer of nearly all of

the Golden Dragons, brought to his knees by an illusion. But such a beautiful hallucination. Sitting up almost violently, he

scowls and looks around the room. Several underlings had gathered to watch the seeming fall of their higher up. Grinning

almost sweetly, he quickly dispatched a handfull of them with a simple look. The rest left cowering in eachothers shadows.

Standing quickly, the sheets from the bed trailing almost like amethyst liquid down his lithe body, "Like her sweet caress"

he thinks to himself. Shaking off the thought he stalks over to the huddled mass of underlings and snatches up one of the

more solid ones. Shaking the disgusting lesser being violently, he scowls, a dark unearthly fire alighting within his eyes,

demanding with his actions to know the reason for such an interruption.

Cowering in the harsh grip, the underling attempts a response. An imposiblity due to the tight grip on its throat by

the clearly irate general/priest. Lessening his grip a bit, Xellos waits impatiently for the annoying little shadow to regain

its breath and speak. Each moment passing, causing his anger to build, his temper bubble to nearly uncontrollable levels.

Giving the annoyance another harsh shake a cruel smile cuts into his face as he grows tired of waiting and disentgrates the

thing with a thought. Turning on the remaining few, hedless of his nudity, and pulls himself to an arrogant height. His cool

amethyst eyes slowly open and he looks down upon them, silently daring them to not answer. Creeping forward tentatively, one

small, shaking shadow looks up at the infuriated being. Swallowing hard it looks around briefly before returning its gaze to

the seemingly calm mazoku towering above it. "Our Mistress wishes a word with you Xellos, General/Preist of Zelas the

Beastmaster." Wringing its hands nervously, he hopes the use of title and the polite tone would be enough to spare its

small life this once. A familiar smirk crept onto Xellos' lips as he looked down at the being before blasting the others

behind it, leaving it quite alone with him. Quick realization comes over it as slitted eyes fix a cold gaze upon it.

Bowing lightly the rarely brave underling made a hasty exit, a hollow laugh resounding after it.

Quickly dressing with a thought, Xellos vanishes from his room to reappear before the door leading to the Beastmasters''

throne room. Taking a deep breath to steady himself, the shock of the action making him shake his head lightly. He's never

needed to prepare himself for a visit to Juu ou-sama, what was so different now? Opening the door silently, he slips

through closing it behind him, and walking over to kneel before his Mistress, head lowered in perfect respect. The mazoku

lord lounged in her throne, looking at her favorite 'pet' with an amused gaze, a small trail of smoke falling from her

lips as she regarded him with a curiosity she had never bestowed upon him since his creation. Chancing a brave glance up,

his customary smile locked in place, he quickly lowers his head and addresses his creator with reverent tones. "You

summoned me Mistress?"

Shifting a bit in her throne, Zelas lets out a throaty laugh, taking another slight pull from her ever present

cigarette and blowing little smoke rings in his direction before speaking. "Yes little Xellos I did." Sliding slowly from

her throne she moves to him and kneels down taking his face gently in her hand and raising his face to study it. "Your

actions of late have me a bit worried my pet. Why is it you sleep so often? What troubles you so that your attentions have

been diverted from your usual task of keeping track of one Lina Inverse?" Caressing his cheeks almost lovingly, Xellos

stills himself at the sudden and strangely tender touch. 'What is she up to?' he thinks to himself, not daring to ask such

a blatant question. His thoughts cast over various different points he could say, different reasons without the full truth.

Keeping secrets was what she had created him for so it was expected to keep some from her. He kept his expression as he

normally would, the trickster mask that he wore so often. "I had thought it would allow me to better understand the mortal

mind if I slept for a few nights." Which was true, if he slept more then he could understand the cycle of awareness and

sleep that they went through, it would further his abilities to manipulate them. He let no emotions betray his thoughts,

except for the normal tone that he always had, happpy and friendly seeming.

Giving a small laugh, Zelas gave his cheek a soft pat and stood moving back to her throne and falling into it

gracefully. Studying him for a moment longer, a sly smile forms on her lips and she takes another slow pull from her

cigarette, the smoke escaping from her mouth as she speaks, "Just the response I would expect from you." Positioning

herself on her throne, legs dangling over one side, her head resting lightly on the other, she takes her eyes from him

and looks at the celing as she continues. "Now, tell me why this little experiment of yours should prevent you from doing

your duties." The cloud of smoke that was always floating about Zelas-sama's head because of her little habbit seemed to be

darker now, almost as though it was reacting to the situation. Turning his head up to where she was sitting and continuing

his normal smile as he hears her question and only taking a moment to respond, knowing that he had to word this correctly

or he would be punished badly. "Juu ou-sama, I haven't been faltering in my duties, I only sleep when Lina-tachi sleeps,

and to make sure that I don't miss anything I leave a small amount of myself behind to observe."

Her smile widened at the carefully worded reply, and she fixed her gaze back upon him. She would keep him kneeling

there for as long as it was necessary to get the words she truly wanted to fall from his lips. Something was distracting

him, but she felt no reason to pull the information from him by means of torture. Some things, she had learned, had to be

given freely. Seeing as she allowed him a great deal of freedom as it was, how could she hold this to seperate standards?

She was of course his Mistress and could just demand the truth, but where would the fun in that be? These little dances of

theirs amused her, and she had found a great opportunity here. Rolling his words in her mind she took another drag from the

cigarette, fully exhaling the smoke before speaking. Knowing that her silence was unnerving him slightly. "But it would

seem that you leave a piece of yourself elsewhere as well. Where is that place Xellos? What is so important that you would

risk angering me and dividing yourself so?"

Mentally his eyes widen in worry, she wasn't letting it go, this wasn't good. Keeping his expression the same as he

heard her words. Slightly taken back by them. Thinking to himself 'Another part of me is elsewhere? Well that would explain

the dreams... but still... how is it possible? That place is impossible.' He smiles up at her speaking calmly as he answers.

"I wasn't aware of that loss of myself, where that place is I do not know." He was speaking the full truth this time,

hiding nothing in that statement. He had no idea where the piece of himself had gone and he hadn't known he had lost it as

he made up for any lost energy by simply feeding off of Zelgadis or Filia. He wonders how a bit of him could have gotten so

far away. He tried not to move, as his mind started reeling. He watched his Mistress carefully, hoping for some sign of what

she was thinking. Her smile gave nothing away, her eyes sparkling a bit. Was it laughter? One could never be sure with

Juu ou-sama. Waving her hand in a dismissive gesture she continued to watch him, it had made him uncomfortable that she had

known about this. She was pleased by that fact. One always had to keep the subordinates on their toes. Finally sitting up in

her throne she motions to a chair beside her and smiles warmly. An intricate tea set appearing to float between them. Taking

a cup she pours a bit and hands him the cup and taking the other for herself. Settling back in her throne she studies him

carefully with serious eyes. "Tell me Xellos, what is this place like, and how do you visit it without my knowing of it?"

Sipping the tea slowly she fixes him with a cool gaze, there would be no more dancing now. She was genuinely concerned for

her general/priest, and she wanted any and all information she could get from him without threat of torture. "How long has

this been going on?"

He looks at her with wide shock filled eyes. She was making him sit near her, and it would look extremely bad if he

refused. Standing slowly he walks towards the throne and finds himself sitting down in the chair beside it, keeping up

appearances as though he wasn't worried. Taking the tea she offered him and sipping from the cup with a smile. "It's

indescribable, nothing like what's in this world. As for how I visit it? I do not know. This has been happening for only a

few nights as far as I know." He trails off for a moment lost in memories of recent dreaming. Bringing himself back to the

situation at hand he looks at his Mistress, his customary smile belying his nervousness. "Is there something wrong

Zelas-sama?" He decided to at least throw one question back at her, if he was going to give up this much information all at

once, she should at least tell him something in return, but he was half expecting to see his own favorite phrase forming on

her lips. But that's not what he saw, to his surprise Zelas was silent, her face a mask of soft concern. His Mistress was

lost in thought, gaze far away and distant, using her finger to stir her rapidly cooling tea, brow furrowed lightly in

frustration. Snapping herself out of her thoughts, she turns to him, her eyes narrowing with a touch of anger as he seems

to dance around her questions, and him asking her one in return. Shaking off the anger and sighing, she takes a sip of her

tea and turns the full intensity of her gaze upon him. "I suppose it's only fair that you ask a question of me. But I can't

answer it unless you tell me everything about this place." Studying him closely she tries to read him, but failing for some

reason. Sitting back in her throne she puffs on her cigarette, letting the smoke out in an aggrivated sigh before continuing.

"I've recently been given some information I can only seem to confirm with your help. Just this once I will ask nicely. Tell

me everything you can about this place you go to. When do you go to it?"

He watched his Mistress carefully, an eyebrow raising at how the Beastmaster was acting, so different from her

normal attitude. It was interesting that she had turned his question around on him, baiting him with further information. A

tempting trade. Finishing his tea slowly, he could tell that now wasn't the time to hide details, that was, unless he

wanted to be thrown into that new device that Zelas-sama had created a short while ago. She called it a sensory deprevation

chamber. Looking down and studying the empty cup, he speaks after a few moments. "Tis a jungle of metal, noisy and rude,

chaos seems to rule all but there aren't any mazoku, ryuzoku, or shinzoku present. A time of mortals without magic, science

seems to be extremely advanced." Pausing for a moment, he once again finds himself thinking of his dream woman. Yes, she

was his. Something of his own, his own private thought. Shaking his head he smiles once more and continues, "When do I go?

I go there when I sleep. It's like a boost of negative energy from all the people who are so misrable." He didn't mention

anything about her, about the mystery woman that he always was with. To be with a mortal, no matter how lovely would be

punishable, or Zelas-sama would kill the woman, he couldn't risk that. Real or not, he couldn't risk his one happiness.

His voice trailed off a bit and he sat silently, waiting. Zelas gave him a dark smile watching him carefully. Something

about his reaction to this place intrigued her, and seemed to soften him. Shaking her head at the thoughts brewing in her

head her smile turned serious as she rolled the information in her mind. He had seen it then. But why him? Why no other?

Strange as it seemed, she was slightly jealous of her little pet. He had seen things that she had only been told about. She

cut her jealousy short, giving him a long cold stare. "Xellos, the place you've just described....exsists" She nearly

whispered the last, the thought still unnerved her. That theirs wasn't the only universe out there. L-sama had to have known

of Xellos' dreams, or else she wouldn't have been given this information. It would seem that Xellos had a new mission. She

watched him closely, his reaction making her smile a bit. The news unnerved him, that was good. It unnerved her as well.

Sitting lower in her throne she spoke the words the Mother of All gave her no choice to speak. "You will be leaving me for

a time. L-sama has told me of this place, she wants you to investigate. I wish I knew why you were granted these "dreams",

but you have been and L-sama intends to put that to use." Straightening herself in her throne she cast a dark and long

look upon him, sighing almost sadly as she reached out and caressed his cheek lightly. "Now go, prepare. You leave me

in the morning. Do not fail me. Do not dissapoint me. Now go." Giving a slight wave of her hand she dismissed him,

watching him as he gave a slight bow and dissapeared, her eyes growing sad, her voice soft as she whispered to the now

empty room. "Don't get lost there my child. Your crimson beauty awaits you...."

Reappearing in his room he fairly skipped through the mass expanse of his quarters. He all but ignored the underlings

that had taken refuge in a far corner upon his return. Fixing them with a cool, but surprisingly joyous glance, they

dissapeared instantly. This happy version of Xellos scaring them more than his usual cruel demeanor. He whirled around the

room, his cloak flowing behind him as he danced happily. Stopping short he realized that he was indeed happy. Strange as it

was, he was actually happy to be leaving everything he had known. It meant that he could seek her out. Seek out the woman

who had in an instant become the most real thing to him. But first...First he had to let her know he was comming.

Undoubtedly she felt as he did. At least, he hoped so. She was always so tender in his dreams, caring, loving, and warm. So

very warm. Warmth enough to melt the ice that was his mazoku heart. He would finally touch that porcelain flesh, kiss those

strawberry lips, run his fingers through silken hair so very near the color of blood. Darkening the room, his clothes

vanished with a thought, and he litterally hopped into bed, almost to excited to sleep. Stretching out beneath the sheets he

thinks to himself, 'This must be what opening a present is like for humans. Anticipating, trying to be patient, but the

excitement, the wonder....Oh thank you L-sama, thank you whoever created this other world. Thank you, thank you, thank

you!' Curling against a pillow, he smiled his first genuine smile letting his sparkling amythest depths slowly close.

Willing himself to sleep was no easy task. His mind kept racing with all sorts of thoughts as he lay still forcing his body

to relax into the pattern of sleep. He had to seek her out, and if the timing was right, he should find her dreaming too.

He had to find her, and he would....

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AN - Ok people, sorry that took so long. Writers' block can be a pain, but with the help of a VERY good friend, part 2 is

now completed. Enjoy! And thank you for being so patient. Thoughts are already building for part 3 but I think you can see

where that is going. A very big THANK YOU, to my purplyness. He helped me write the Xel parts of the conversation. Actually,

he pretty much wrote the Xel parts of the conversation, I just edited them with my own little twists. *gives a super happy

flying tackle snuggle glomp to her partner in crime* Thank you again!!!!