Author's note: Now here's something interesting, not your typical post Try epic I assure you!  It will contain such graphic and potentially damaging things such as dialogue (Gasp), action, (Double gasp) and even, a smidgen of clean heterosexual romance (Keep the children away!!)  It will also contain some tamer items for the concerned parent, like good ol' fashioned violence, blood, and the obligatory gore, swearing, and slash, I like to think that the good outweighs the bad in this fic, and it can be family fun for everyone!

Disclaimer: Oh man, I need to do one for this one!  Typical junk, "The Slayers" Xellos, Filia, Val, Gaav, and all the rest quite unfortunately don't belong to me, I just get to borrow and torment them for a while!  Any character appearing in this fan fiction and not in the anime is property of me, and I'll let you borrow and torture them if you ask me niiicely!  *Works on her plans to steal Gaav and Val and make them hers for eternity*

All that said and done, do enjoy, "The Last Prophet"!


The Last Prophet

Prologue

In which some mysterious dark figures converse mysteriously and a mysteriously devious plan is hatched

Two figures stood sentinel in the darkness of the cavern, grinning and baring menacing sets of gleaming white fangs at the wisp of red fiery energy that crackled, sparked and hissed madly within a clear glass globe pinched securely between a wicked set of claws.  They regarded each other sternly, almost hatefully, the enmity that passed between them tacit and suppressed as they each thought how to break the unpleasantly silent stalemate in which they so often found themselves, particularly on the eve of a mutual fruition of plots.

"This is still a rather unpleasant partnership you realize…" droned the striking female figure at last in a smug, seductive voice, grating a nail along the orb in her grip and sending the insolent flame inside reeling.

"It is true, but as much as I hate to admit it, and you should too, my dear, this task would be quite impossible without both of us," the tall male shadow replied in an equally aloof and apathetic tone but with an icy resonance to his curt voice.  The woman shrugged in begrudging accord and went back to fondling the brightly flashing energy caged and harnessed within the glass prison, which flared and hurled itself furiously against the domed walls, incensed only further by a cruel cackle of amusement.

"You're very right!  But oh- this is truly sad!  Still such a little spitfire!  Is this all that's left?" she purred, displaying the tuft of flame to her companion.

"It's enough," he responded shortly, glaring in the opposite direction, "We only need a little to complete the spell, and as soon as our servants return with the rest of the ingredients, we can complete our separate parts of the plan, as we discussed, on our own."

Sneering, the woman turned up her nose at the man appropriately far away from her person and affectionately cradled the glittering ball in both hands, bringing it to her eyelevel and shaking it experimentally.

"Oh yes, that silly agreement we made…" she mused thoughtfully, smirking sadistically as the flame was rolled haplessly along the interior, "But my dear favorite little servant!  How I do miss him!"

"Don't turn your back on me now, I know how you are, but I take things quite seriously, and I believe that this will all work, if we can merely cooperate," his cool, velvet voice drifted into the stale air as if out of place as he spoke, turning cold eyes on the woman beside him expectantly.

"Of course it will work, his pathetic ties to that horrible little creature are undeniable!  I am just as dedicated to this as you, and as much as I'd love to just take what is mine, this is by far a better arrangement," sniped the feral creature in retort, lips coiling nastily as the spirited flame blazed in fury and illumined her cruel and grotesquely amused irises.

"I never imagined that we'd have this much power under control, and if we can continue to force and mandate utter obedience, everything will be exceedingly simple," the man replied broodingly, sauntering the few steps to the woman's side and prodded at the orb where the crimson blaze sparked and shrank away from his finger while it was cast a hungry grin, "Oh don't act so cold old friend, we're merely trying to help…"

"And in return, all we ask is you help us!' the woman added airily, ears pricking up as a distant sound reached them, and the spirit inside the glass was instantly forgotten, "But now, it seems our servants have returned with our supplies…"

The duo exchanged grins, and set the orb gingerly in the fangs of a twisted black stand before an altar, where the flame inside hopped and skipped wildly about, until tiny blue bolts of stinging magic from the open jowls of the beast that was its resting place pacified it into a smoldering ember of fury.  They paid it no heed after it settled, and swept grandly out of the cavern toward the entrance, where several battered Mazoku awaited on bent knee with satchels containing rare and precious items that had significantly reduced the number of them that had returned.

"Shall we go meet them then, my dear?  They are indeed right on time," the velvet male voice chimed from somewhere within a shadow.

"I believe that is an excellent idea, and we shall have to get started on the spell as soon as possible, the moon is nearly full," the harsh female voice answered brightly, chortling to herself and narrowing her eyes as she cast the caged fire a devious glance over her shoulder, "And it's almost that special day…  I do so hate waiting…"

The flickering purple torches lighting the dank cavern spluttered and died with tiny final exhalations of blue smoke, letting the darkness creep slowly back over the lone orb, which blazed defiantly on, even as all other lights went out.

End prologue


So who are these mysterious villains and what are they plotting mysteriously with their mysteriously mysterious ways?  And most importantly for WHO??  You'll just have to wait and see!  How long?  A while!  Chapter 1 is all happy fluff and story introducing things!  Sheesh who do you think I am?  Someone who'd have their most evil and scheming ultimate villains revealed in chapter 1…?  Pffft…

Stay tuned for Chapter 1!