AN: sorry for the long wait...
I have recently been informed that Xellos eyes are purple, after some investigating, I have determined for myself that I was wrong and my reviewers were right. Instead of going back and rewriting the entire thing to change all the instances I used yellow to purple, I have decided to use continue using yellow... god knows I've changed the storyline enough to start fanatically sticking to the facts now...
I thank you for those comments though and hope that people will continue to provide helpful comments in the future...
The Status Quo
Chapter Ten: Waste of Time
The clouds gathered in an ominous dark mass around the mountainous peaks. The first foresaw peal of thunder struck down in unison with a great flash of lightning that pounded some rocky expanse just before the heaving ocean waves. The blast hailed the arrival of the torrential rain, it came in sheets, whipped sideways and in all directions by the gale force winds. It was into this maelstrom that a small puppy of pure white walked, near collapsing from the force of the wind. From the relative safety of the small entrance in which she had come the puppy now stood in the middle of a small beach. She looked out into the small expanse of sand and rock. Through the torrential horizontal rain that blew all around her she not have seen what danger awaited her. A wind suddenly picked up around where she stood as she gazed out into the blackness a flash of lightning revealed a great wave arching high into the sky. The puppy scrambled in a terrified dash to the safety of the cavern she had left, but she tripped and stumbled in the loose sand as the wave crashed to the ground. The swift torrent of water carried her from her spot on the sound and, in a terrified heap, brought her up the beach. She whined feebly as the water rushed back to the sea carrying her along with it. She screwed up her courage digging her claws deep into the loose sand, it slowed her rush back to the swift waters and certain death in the pounding sea. The tactic worked, her body coming to a slow stop just before the foaming waters of the ocean. She lay panting, her mind swirling in exhaustion, her muscles wanting nothing more than to lay there forever. A sound from behind her brought her mind out of its haze and into a realm of clarity. She willed her head to gaze behind her to see the terrible visage of yet another ugly black wall of water whipped to unimaginable dimensions by the storm. She scrambled to her feet in a primal burst of energy and with a painful convulsion of her tiny muscles she bounded forward. The slick matted down sand provided a firmer stage for such a burst of energy, but this thought was just a blur in the puppy who half ran half leaped in terror from the oncoming onslaught of water. The sound of the wind blowing fiercely in the wake of the great wave behind her spurred her to run faster than she probably would be able to even in her adult life. In such a manner she ran until she heard the crashing of the wave and turned her head to see the rushing waters. She gritted her minuscule teeth as she sped up her pace, the last bit of her energy expended the swirling waters of the wave just licked her heals as she collapsed to the ground after one final pounce from its reach. The puppy, now more like a panting ball of white fluff, lay flat against the sand. As she lay against the soft earth the dissipating sound of the receding water was replaced by the ferocious storm that still raged throughout the night sky.
With what strength she had left the puppy strained a few steps toward the protection of the cavern, but collapsed back to the ground every muscle contained within her minute form strained to the point of pain, her energy exhausted beyond all measure. She lay huddled against the storm, the wind whipped against her as the borne sharp drops of rain pelted her. She cried out feebly for anyone to save this small puppy from the horrors of this terrible night. This great expanse of blackness that would be remembered by all who dared venture out in it seemed to sense her pleas and only double its efforts. A flash of lightning struck miles away, but the boom of thunder seemed to shatter the night and make it seem so much closer. A wave crashed violently against the beach, followed by another and another in a trifecto of terrifying noise and wind. As thunder rolled and lightning flashed the puppy lay against the sand her heartwrenching pleas becoming fainter and fainter as all that was within her cried out for sleep, but the terrifying sounds of the night provided no circumstance for this. It was through the worst that this storm could offer that the sound that she had hoped for the most, the shimmering of pure darkness, would go unnoticed as she lay eyes closed to the world.
Although the storm continued to rage all around, in the mind of the small puppy it seemed to lessen. She dared not open her eyes at first, but the wind and rain seemed seemed to lessen and nearly stop. She cautiously opened one tired eye, her ruby red pupil staring out into the stormy world around her. Indeed the storm was raging, but before her was a short mazoku, his dull yellow eyes staring down through a mop of sopping purple hair. His hands held up his cloak which he had draped over her blocking the pelting rain and driving winds. Xellos knelt before her, his face adorned with a bright smile, "konbonwa Snowy-chan..."
"Xellos-tama!" Snowy squealed with joy as she bounded forward seemingly filled with renewed energy, all previous pains forgotten.
The force of her move knocked Xellos back with a surprised, "umphh" as he collapsed to the ground. "Xellos-tama..." the puppy nuzzled against his shirt front as he brought his arms around her, holding her as he brought himself to his feet. "yare yare Snowy, I begin to think you get lost just to have me chase you everywhere" he sighed, "honestly I looked over every inch of the domain..."
Snowy merely curled up sopping wet in his arms seeking his warmth as he walked back to the cavern entrance and safety from the storm. Xellos's footsteps clattered against the hard rock of the cavern floor, the sound reverberating off the high ceiling of the cavern. Most of these great caverns and caves stretched for miles throughout Flierbanyu Island, joining and crisscrossing in a vast network that few fully understood. Snowy leaped from Xellos's arms. The purple haired mazoku stood a respectful distance away as she began the complex process of cleaning her fur of all remnants of water. His eyes scanned the floor until his gaze landed upon a small piece of driftwood, perhaps from one of the many ships that once sailed the island's treacherous waters. A few casual footsteps and he had reached the spot hovering above the scrap of wood as it lay simply against the rock ground.
"I'm done Xellos-tama!" the elated wolf pup practically skipped toward the elder mazoku. Xellos turned toward her holding the piece of timber, "what are you gonna to do with that? Are you gonna make a fire?" the puppy stared in fascination as Xellos stood a few feet from the cave wall. He tossed the wood to the center of the passageway before turning to the pup, "watch and see..."
With that he raised his hand before him and with the slightest flash of red energy the wood erupted into flame. "Wow!" Snowy pranced about excitedly as the small bit of wood rose to a flaming mass five times its size. Xellos lay back against the hard rock of the cavern, Snowy bounded forward and in an instant was draped across Xellos's lap. The mazoku lay back against the wall of the cavern as his hand casually stroked Snowy's soft fur. She lay there basking in contentment from the warmth of the fire and the warmth of her beloved Xellos, whose lap she snuggled closer against reveling in the warmth she received from him. Sleep began to take its hold as the storm continued to rage outside, the rhythmic stroking of her fur began to lull her. She yawned deeply as the fire crackled merrily away never completely consuming the small piece of wood. Xellos stared down at her, "you should get some rest Snowy-chan, I don't have anything else to do today anyway"
Snowy stared up at Xellos although her features were sleep addled they showed her complete warmth and admiration, "sukidaiyo Xellos-tama" her eyes closed as she rested her head against his leg.
"I love you too Snowy-chan..." Xellos responded as he continued to lightly stroke her, the next words came so softly the young pup could hardly hear them, "I love you just the way you are..."
The next morning was a particularly bizarre and spectacular one on Wolfpack Island. Snowy awoke in the hazy light of morning, "Xellos-tama?" she stared all around her to find the mazoku nowhere to be seen. She scrambled to her feet before dashing to the opening in the rock. "Kie..." was all she could think as she gazed out into the pure blue sky. The sun was just rising above the horizon as a soft breeze played with her fur, "such a nice breeze!" she squealed as she pranced about. It was the lolling sound of another breaking wave, a mere fraction of the behemoth walls of water the night before, that alerted her attention to Xellos. She gazed as he stood before the waves, the soft breeze playing with his short purple hair. A wave surged against the beach, the foaming waters drenching up to his ankles as he stepped from it back up the beach.
"Xellos-tama!" Snowy called as she ran down the beach toward him, they met somewhere in the middle as Xellos bent down to pat her on the head. She closed her eyes for a moment as he pet her on the head, "ohayo Snowy-chan..." he said softly as he withdrew his hand, "ohayo Xellos-tama!" she beamed up at him as they stood against the sandy surface of the beach. Another wave lapped against the small stretch of pristine shoreline that seemed almost benign in the light of the sun that shone down upon them.
"Snowy-chan..." Xellos stated softly,
"hai?" Snowy gazed questioningly as the mazoku before her reached for some hidden pocket in his cloak. "I have a present for you..."
Snowy stared in awe as Xellos pulled from his cloak a necklace, it was a simple crystal in the shape of a teardrop suspended by a thin string from his hands. "This will help you if and when you get lost..." he placed the necklace around the pup's neck as he spoke. Once the necklace was around her neck Snowy examined the fine crystal teardrop that weighted her neck considerably, but still she cherished it...
"Arigato Xellos-tama!" she leaped forward once more knocking Xellos to the ground. She licked all over his face affectionately as he writhed about on the ground laughing hysterically from the sensation, "hahahahaha stop Snowy haha -chan hahyama hahte" he barely managed to get out the words as she stopped merely staring at him happily, the weight of the stone around her neck forgotten, as if it became natural to wear it. Xellos sat up as he beamed down at her with his dull yellow eyes, she stared back with her bright ruby eyes...
Those same ruby eyes, though seemingly dulled, snapped open to the sensation of near complete darkness. The owner of those gorgeous red eyes stared out into the gloom, up at a ceiling she could not fully recognize just yet. Her muscles strained as she sat up slowly, a cloak falling from her naked form. She turned her head from side to side, the long white hair framing her face swaying lightly from side to side along her back. "Where am I?" Snowy groggily formed the words as she gazed out into the darkness of the room. Slowly her vision began to come back and her mind cleared, it was so obvious even in the dark that she had to smack herself in the head for not realizing it.
Smack! "oww!" she rubbed her forehead softly with her other hand as the pain ebbed away, "This is Xellos's room" I can't believe I just did that... oww
Even if it was Xellos's room it was unusually dark, it was rare that Xellos ever turned the lamp off, "Light..."
Still a little groggy she groped her hand out in the darkness trying to think where the light was when it suddenly flashed to life. The whole room was suddenly illuminated in a great bright light from a lantern near the front of the room. "ahhh... Dimmer!" she wailed as her arm came over her eyes in a vein attempt to shield her from the blinding light. On request the light dimmed, she couldn't help but sigh as the light returned to a level she was used to, "ahhh, that's better..."
It was then that her eyes gazed from the open entrance to Xellos's chamber devoid of any kind of covering, probably for the lack of time he spent in it, down to her naked chest uncovered by the cloak as she sat... ... ... "Eeeek!" She screamed in terror as she quickly wrapped the oversized cloak firmly around herself once more. "Where did my clothes go!?" She glanced from one corner of the other in a frantic search for perverted watchers that might be there. It took a few minutes to quiet herself down enough to move tentatively from the bed.
She slid over to the very edge as she held the cloak with both hands around herself, "alright then... first the right foot..." she placed the foot firmly to the rock floor, "so far so good... now the left" the left foot slowly fell to the floor before landing next to its partner. She sat on the bed for a moment before cocking her head to one side, "Why am I so nervous all of a sudden?" Her arms instantly shrugged still holding the cloak about her as she slid from the bed, standing in the center of the room scanning the contents. The room had little to speak of... outside of the bed which occupied the majority of the space the walls were virtually unadorned. A few shelves held some shiny baubles from some years past, one scepter of some kind hung in a rack in a corner next to the lamp, and finally the object of most interest to Snowy at the moment was a bureau that sat below a large mirror about equal to its height.
"That should help me..." Snowy walked slowly toward the bureau, her hand moving to grasp the handle to the uppermost drawer. She bent down, still holding the great cloak about her as she pulled open the drawer and had a look. The contents within gave Snowy ample cause to sweatdrop. She stood from her bent position holding a small pure black cloak that seemed to shimmer in the light of the lamp. She gazed down into the drawer in wonder as numerous cloaks of exactly the same size and color lay in a neat pile.
"I had no idea he had so many of these..." her voice wavered as tears welled in her eyes, the brown cloak cascaded to the ground as she clutched the small garment to her chest. "why did you have to die!" she sobbed uncontrollably into the cloak as she crushed it to her chest. It was then that an event occurred that Snowy might never live to explain.
To the outside observer Snowy's entire body began to emanate a surreal red aura. It flowed about her as if it were alive flaring to life and dissipating throughout her form.
"are? Sniff... sniff... it feels so warm..." A warmth seemed to spread through her from the cloak in her hands, she felt such great comfort and contentment then that the only thought that reached her mind was, He's alive...
As her eyes again opened to the world the red aura disappeared completely from her as if it never existed. The warmth and contentment she felt only seemed to increase as her mind was filled with the knowledge that Xellos was indeed alive.
"He's alive! He's alive! XELLOS IS ALIVE!" She stood where she was although she was greatly tempted to prance around for joy completely naked.
With this knowledge also came perhaps the lesser euphoria that she did know and would continue to know exactly where her beloved Xellos was at that moment... though the reasons for this remained a mystery even to her.
"I have to see him again" she stated to herself as she hurriedly wiped a few stray tears from her face, "even if that dragon is there I have to see for myself..."
With that she lovingly placed Xellos's cloak back into the top drawer before shutting it. Her hand moved down to the middle drawer, she grasped the brown cloak about her once more as she pulled this drawer open to gaze unsurprised into its contents. Revealed to her vision by the light of the lamp she beheld two piles, one of yellow shirts, and the other black pants. She slammed this drawer shut grumbling audibly, "Honestly I may love him but he seriously needs new clothes..." ...
It was a few moments, after she had shut the door that she realized... and abruptly eeped in shock, "eep! Did I just...just say... love" I did! There I said it again! How? I don't feel...
She shuddered at the realization of the new power given to her, she no longer cringed at that word. A word that she had been berated for saying as a puppy and since felt pain whenever it was spoken even in euphemism, how could this be?
A smirk played across her features as she gazed into the mirror that she stood before. A rush of heat came to her cheeks for a reason she hardly knew, "I... lo..ve" the heat became almost unbearable as she was forced to stop, Why is this so hard now!?
She grimaced against her reflection, "I love Xellos!" she stated resolutely to her own reflection, the word once said seemed to become easier to say, I love Xellos, I love Xellos, I love Xellos!
The words pranced about her mind as her mind wandered into places.... places that well... her face turned redder than her ruby eyes as she hastily gazed down the the final drawer. Her hand rose resolutely before her form a V, "I will defeat that Golden Dragon!"
She yanked open the final drawer to reveal... Snowy had to shield her eyes from the bright flash emanating from the contents within. "What is that?"
The flash faded as she gazed down into the container, "what the..." within the drawer were dozens and dozens of small shiny objects. Combs, buttons, metal boxes, charms, small daggers (the kind for kids), and countless other jewel encrusted and none jewel encrusted items. Foremost among these, to Snowy's delight, was a garment of pure white. "Just what I need..." Snowy grasped the garment, several of the smaller trinkets moving chaotically about as she pulled it from its place. Snowy noticed that the garment seemed heavier than the simple shirts she was used to as she placed it on the bed. She walked over to the entrance to Xellos's room where she knew two hooks hung from the rock above.
She hurriedly gazed out into the hallway from right to left before ascertaining that no one was near. "alright then..."
She hurriedly removed the cloak from around her body before tossing it onto the hooks. With some slight adjusting the large cloak hung almost perfectly, blocking the entrance to anyone who might stare. Snowy walked back to the bed, stretching her arms into the air in comfort knowing that no one could see her. "alright then let's see what we have..."
She picked up the folded garment from its place on the bed, "woah..." She stared as she lifted the garment into the air, it unfolded to reveal a stunning white dress. It was elegantly simple, a single piece dress unadorned with frills or complex folds, it was full in the back and had short sleeves, the skirt ran down below Snowy's knees. It fit her perfectly, not so much a dress, as an all purpose semiformal workdress, like something a miko would wear...
Snowy held the dress to her as she stepped before the mirror, it really looked good on her. It was at this point in her euphoria that her eyes again wandered to the open drawer where she saw what lay below the dress... "What!?"
She held the dress to her as she pulled from the depths of the drawer a white lace bra and panties, "what the..." What is Xellos doing with these things? She examined the undergarments thoughtfully as she once more gazed at herself in the mirror. Her eyes wandered up and down her reflection until they came a stop at her chest, a rush of heat again reached her cheeks, but she shook it away. "I wonder... do I need...these"
Her human form was still a new thing, given to her not long ago by the Voirlendi. She didn't know or care how it looked as long as it was covered up enough, but now... "What would Xellos want to see?" She decided at that moment, an audible snap was heard as she worked the clasp together. She pulled the dress over herself until it cascaded of its own accord down her body, the feeling was quite new...
Snowy had just grasped a pair of white pants from the drawer when something caught her eye, "what is that?" she squinted her eyes into the drawer as what she had seen became clear. A smirk poked through her bewildered gaze, "Maybe with this..."
The sun shined dimly against the backdrop of the great multicolor sky above. For anyone who cared to stare into the westward sky it was truly a beautiful mix of oranges, yellows, and pinks. However, the gorgeous scenery was not the main topic of discussion for two particular travelers, as they made their way along a meandering path Northward. Instead, as evident by Filia's saucer sized eyes, the conversation had traveled elsewhere...
"hontoni? I can't believe Lina was serious when she said that..." Honestly a mazoku casting white magic...
"well it's very rare, in fact Lucile-san is the only mazoku ever to accomplish it..."
"heh..." That's amazing...
Filia couldn't help but feel a kind of awe for Deep Sea Dolphin, "she really is an incredible person isn't she..."
"hai" Xellos replied casually as they rounded a hill, "although very few people know the circumstances its commonly known that she healed a little girl..."
Filia sighed into the waining sun as she gazed down at it sinking into the sky. The two of them had spent the past few hours walking down this dusty road, as she gazed out upon it the area seemed to become more and more desolate with each footstep. The scenery showed little sign of improving as they crested a great hill, Xellos's staff plodding in the soft earth as they stopped to examine the valley below.
Filia stood atop the hill, a soft breeze playing with a few loose strands of her hair. She put a hand the renegade strands tucking them behind her ear, "nice breeze..." she commented as she stared down the hill. The main feature they could see below was a low lying stream that meandered past a large hill some distance away. It cut through their path before making its way northward, a further bend somewhere just before the horizon would bring it back south at some point. "Shall we go then?"
Filia turned to see Xellos staring back at her through partly open eyes, she answered with a nod as they continued their journey north. The wind began to pick up as they reached the base of another large hill the dust began to swear about them making it difficult to see, the unkempt path they had been using began to break up here.
"perhaps we should go around this thing..." Xellos bellowed through the howling wind, Honestly if only I could use the astral plane...
"yeah, it's getting difficult to see anyway, we should find someplace to camp for the night soon..." Filia spoke through the dust, her arm held up to shield her eyes,
They both stood in the sand preparing to ford their way through the swirling dust, when a sound all too different than the howling wind met their ears...
"XELLOS!" a booming female voice sounded through the howling wind and swirling sand that was all around them,
Filia turned from a few paces to the right of the hill to see Xellos engulfed in a white blur that knocked him to the ground. "Xellos!?" she called out as she dashed toward him, at that moment the wind began to die down and the sands return once more to the earth. Xellos had skidded to the ground some distance away from the force of whatever it was that hit him. Filia reached his side as the "something" reared its darlingly cute head, Filia recoiled back almost falling to the ground in recollection. "It's you! That little girl..."
"ite, what was that?" Xellos sat up feeling the weight of a female body over him. He rubbed the dust out of his eyes as he gazed down at the dazzlingly white girl before him. The girl had latched both arms squarely around him, "ano, could you let go of me please?" she stayed attached to him as she nuzzled her head against his chest. Xellos sat up with the girl still wrapped around him, he managed to pry her arms from him as he stood over her, his hands on her shoulders. "Now look..." it was then that he gazed into her dull red eyes and recognized the simple dress she was wearing, "Xellos, what's going on? Who is this girl?"
Filia came to Xellos's side as she stared down at the girl with long white hair before her, Snowy glared daggers at the dragon who recoiled as her gaze rounded on her, "Get away from Xellos, Golden Dragon bastard!"
"nani!" Filia roared in anger as her mace came to the fore, "why you little!"
"Stop Filia..." She was about to strike with her mace when Xellos held out his hand before her, she rounded on him, "Why not she deserved it for what she said!"
Xellos turned to face her flashing a bright smile, his eyes open, the waning sun panting his face a light orange, "Thank you Fi-chan, I'll be right back..."
With that the purple haired mazoku dashed up the hill faster than Filia had ever seen him run, "Don't act like you've one arguments that never happened, Xellos!" Filia shouted after him as she stomped on the sandy earth, What the heck is going on!
Her foot suddenly stopped thrashing against the earth as something came back to her, a short time ago, "Xellos said he watched a pup named Snowy..."
Filia dashed up the hill, the dust and dirt collapsing as each step sunk into the sandy earth. At the very top of the hill the ground became much firmer as Filia took cover behind a small bush, Xellos had not gone far with the girl, traveling just to the stream that lay only a few feet beyond the hilltop.
Xellos stood a few feet away from Snowy, just before the rushing waters of the stream. A million thoughts rushed through his mind as he gazed at her, the dress, the red eyes, her long white hair done up in a crude ponytail like style, her whole human form.
"I was wondering how long it was going to take you to recognize me..."
Now that they were alone together her voice sounded so much more timid, as he stared at her she relentlessly smoothed out her hair, tucking small strands of it behind her ear. She turned away from him as she straightened out a minuscule fold in her dress, "So... how do I look?" she turned to face him as he gazed back at her. His dull yellow eyes staring back at her seemed to bore into her as she tried to stare back, but with each passing second it seemed to become more difficult. Her fidgeting became worse and worse, Please say something! Her mind screamed out as her head remained bowed. Xellos stared at her, he watched her movements, the fixing, the fidgeting, her seeming inability to look straight at him, he could sense tears would come in a moment.
Snowy's head remained bowed as her thoughts berated her, "He hates the way I look! Why did I have to try putting my hair up it looks ridiculous!" She could feel tears welling in her eyes, she tried furiously to blink them away. It was then that she felt a hand on her shoulder, her gaze traveled upward to see Xellos standing before her, the bright smile she remembered from her youth plastered on her face, "You look good, Snowy-chan..."
"hontoni?" her expression immediately brightened as her hand vigorously wiped away a stray tear from each eye. She sniffed a few times as Xellos took his hand from her arm, "hontoni" he stood back a few paces gazing back at her as she brightened up back to the Snowy he remembered. "How has everything been going at home?"
"Fine..." Snowy replied a dreamy expression on her face, "Ku has a new name now..."
"Really? That's interesting..." Xellos's gaze had shifted away from Snowy as he heard a slight splash around the stream bank. When his gaze returned to Snowy she had turned around, facing the stream bank, "could you hold on a minute Xellos" her voice was quiet and shaky as she shifted her weight from foot to foot on the bank. "hai..." Xellos stood on the rocky bank, "Snowy..."
"haui?" her voice sounded a little muffled and strained, Xellos decided to ignore it for the moment, "do you remember that necklace I gave you a long long time ago?"
"necklace?" she paused for a moment gazing down at herself in the water, "I don't recall ever having a necklace are you sure you gave me one?"
Xellos's eyes widened for a moment before his gaze shifted to the ground, he kicked a small pebble into the rushing waters with a Plunk! As it fell beneath the current. He sighed as his gaze remained on the ground, "It doesn't really matter, don't worry about it..."
"Xellos?"
Xellos's gaze lifted from the earth to meet Snowy's timid features, he didn't look surprised at the lipstick container in her hand. He sighed into the scene as his eyes traveled to her face, flush with timid embarrassment and a more mature fear of rejection. The red lipstick applied with an inexperienced hand to her lips complimented her eyes and the heavy blush that crept to her cheeks, she slowly walked toward the elder mazoku. "I was wondering... I was wondering if we could..." Xellos offered no resistance as a hand crept to his cheek.
Filia gazed down at the scene before her, her mouth was dry as she saw the girl approach Xellos. The only thought that traversed her subconscious mind was the need to be anywhere than where she was now. She tried desperately to look away, but could do nothing as she witnessed the young girl leaning into Xellos, one hand wrapped around him, the other on his cheek. Filia's hands clenched so tightly around a group of stalks she was holding they snapped apart from their base with an audible Snap!
Her heart beat faster and faster as her gaze continued on the pair below, "I shouldn't be seeing this!" became, "Why are they doing this!" which became, "They need to stop!"
If the pair below hadn't pulled apart or perhaps a better phrase would be, if Snowy hadn't pulled away from the motionless Xellos, Filia didn't know what she would have done...
Xellos felt her warm hand leave his cheek as his gaze straightened to match hers. His eyes somehow seemed duller as he gazed down at her, his only thought during that moment had been, Not much time left then...
This sorrowful thought swirled through him in a spiral of depression. "Well I should go then! Lord Beastmaster is probably wondering where I am..." Snowy called cheerfully as she ran down the bank, "See you later then!" Xellos called back just as cheerfully as Snowy disappeared into the dark. As she disappeared his features became more sullen as he gazed to the ground sighing before putting on a reasonable smile. He turned from his spot gazing to the hilltop above. He was not surprised to see Filia running down the hill, "Sorry to keep you waiting, I think we can go on now..." his closed eyed smile in full force,
Filia huffed and puffed as she reached the base of the hill, whether it was to make it look like she wasn't spying, or simply because she was out of shape Xellos didn't know. "What was that all about Xellos!" Filia rushed into the bank whacking him squarely on the head with a well timed punch...
Xellos lay sprawled on the ground as Filia towered over him, her eyes red, her aura flared about her, "Tell me!" she bellowed at him as he sat up from the rocky ground.
Xellos stared back, his smile faded slightly, "alright I'll tell you..."
Filia's rage diminished almost instantly at his change in tone, this was the kind of tone she had come to know he only used when he was being serious. His staff plodded against the rock as he began the walk northward again, Filia followed a short distance behind. "That girl's name is Snowy, she is a puppy I used to watch..." he spoke without turning around, Filia again reached his side. For an instant she saw the frown streak across his face, then she blinked and it was gone. "A mazoku at a young age is no different than a human child, they feel the same emotions, happiness, compassion, and so on..."
"But that's..." Filia bowed her head at her own words, she had been saying this phrase and been wrong too many times recently. Xellos continued, "When a mazoku is about to reach puberty they become especially emotional and needy, which is what you saw back there..."
"I wasn't..." Filia could feel a strange sadness in his voice, she felt it was futile to lie to him knowing how good he was at sensing auras. She sighed, one last question entering her mind, "What happens after puberty?"
She glanced over at the mazoku next to her, most of his expression seemed shrouded in shadow. Filia felt some strange pain in her chest, she had to change the subject, "What was your childhood like!?"
Xellos was taken aback by her sudden question, his gaze shifted to her and then to the road again, "Sad and short..."
"Gak!" Filia nearly collapsed to the ground, "because you know when I was a little girl, I snuck into the restricted part of the library..."
Xellos stared strangely at her a strange expression on his face, "and?"
Filia smiled feeling a little better, "I read a book..." she sounded utterly confident like it was the greatest achievement of her life...
Xellos just stared at her blankly, Filia stared back and saw first with happiness than with suspicion. It began with a chuckle and then turned into a full blown laugh, "hahhahahaha Fi-chan that must have been a great accomplishment!"
"I was 23 what do you expect?" Filia flared back blushing at the memory, I had to pick that one...
"Well I hope it was a good one to risk the wrath of the late Elder"
Filia's blush increased as her head bowed, "actually I was only 23 so I couldn't really read most of it..."
Eventually Xellos stopped laughing, possibly of his own free will, possibly because Filia brought forth her mace, either way they continued once more down the northward road. Their path took them along the stream as they walked along the rocky bank Filia glanced down at Xellos and remembered what they had forgotten. "Xellos..."
"Hmm?" Xellos turned to find Filia pointing at his staff, "what is it?"
"During the battle with Dynast you must have gotten some blood on your gloves..." Filia gazed with some amusement at his normally white glove, now partly stained a pinkish color. "oh... right I was going to wash these off..." Xellos stared at his gloves allowing his staff to fall to the ground,
"I can get it..!." I've always wanted to know what your hiding under these things...
Filia far too eagerly lunged for Xellos's gloves, he withdrew his hands seconds before she reached them causing her to skid forward. "No thanks Fi-chan I can get them..."
Xellos began to turn toward the rushing waters of the spring, "Come on Xellos I just wanna help!" Filia flung herself forward, Xellos wasn't prepared and she managed to grasp the glove on his right hand. She pulled hard on the garment as it slowly began to come away from his hand. Her eyes widened as she stared down at a small bit of stark white skin revealed by the receding glove also was the beginning of a dark scar along the back of his hand... "I said I could get it!" Xellos's voice bellowed in anger as he slapped her hand away with his other hand. He either yelled louder than he meant to or hit harder than he intended, because he immediately turned away from Filia who stood rubbing her hand with the other. She stared a few moments before responding angrily, "Fine! Wash your own stupid gloves, see what it matters to me!" before turning from the scene and stalking off back onto the trail. Xellos sighed turning his attention to his gloves and the stream. He pulled off each glove, thrashing each about in the water until the stains were nearly unnoticeable. Stepping from the stream he returned the soaked gloves to his hands, pulling them snugly over his hands, instantly feeling more secure in the feeling of cloth over them.
"I can't believe he did that! Hitting me, who does that mazoku think he is!" Filia continued to silently fume, mumbling some incoherent phrases as she continued to stomp noisily ahead crushing a few helpless shrubs as they crossed her path. Xellos sighed again, he could tell she was mad at him, it was not something Filia was good at concealing. He knew this and that it was going to take some supreme effort to calm her down, "I'm sorry Fi-chan please forgive me..." he called to her in a childish singsong voice, she responded with a "Feh!" cocking her head to the side.
Filia stared outward as the last vestiges of sunlight flittered their way across the sky in preparation for night, "If that mazoku thinks I'll forgive him that easily, he's wrong..."
"When I was 32..."
"ah!" Filia shrieked as Xellos appeared at her side, she held a hand to her heart, "did you have to do that!" almost gave me a heart attack, honestly...
Xellos continued to walk by her saying nothing, minutes passed as they continued to walk forward, finally Filia couldn't take it anymore. "And?" she finally blurted out, "what happened when you were 32?"
Xellos's smile broadened as his gaze shifted from the open road to her, "When I was 32 I snuck into a library..."
Filia smacked him on the head, "Don't steal my life!" although through her beating even Xellos could see the slight smile return to her face, "oh, I thought it was a story you would believe, I guess not..."
Filia sighed, "I guess I can forgive you..." Wait...
She stopped for a moment turning to Xellos, Smack!, she slapped him as hard as she could on the hand, she saw the cringe of pain on his face and smiled, "ok, now we're even..."
"Goody..." For a moment the two looked at each other and shared a simultaneous smile before returning to their walk. The two continued their journey north unaware that they were being followed by more than one figure.
Unbeknownst to anyone only a few feet away a dark purple haired woman walked just behind the two lying in a layer of the astral plane upon which you couldn't be seen or heard. It had been a mere thirty minutes from the glove incident as the sun finally set beyond the horizon, and already the Xefia was bored.
"ahhhh! It's so boring! Their just going to walk for hours and do nothing! Oh I want to do something so bad!" Maybe just a little kiss...
She lifted her hands to cast a little spell when a familiar voice pounced on her mind, Don't even think about it Xefia...
Xefia sighed outwardly as she lowered her hands once more, hai hai, I know Maven-san I know...
She sighed again staring through the gloom at her quarry, "honestly, can't you two walk a little faster, its amazing you make it at all..."
"We should probably settle down for the night..." I'm tired...
"If you want... we'll probably reach the palace by tomorrow anyway..." Xellos said pointing to the north with his staff indicating a faint mountain range in the distance,
"really!? That close? Then I think I can go a bit longer!" Let's go!
Filia dashed forward with a sudden burst of speed, Xellos stayed behind watching her make a fool of herself with her reckless running. Sure enough she stopped two dozen or so yards away, winded from the sudden exertion. Xefia watched her too, but felt compelled to run after her, not wanting to loose the weaker of her most important two that she had to follow this night in the dark. The downside for this particular use of the astral plane was that it limited your own sight of the events occurring around you, Xefia could not sense the great mass of darkness moving toward them. She heard Xellos cry out behind her, she turned to him just as Filia did, he was running toward them, but it was too late. Suddenly the stars and moon above were swallowed in darkness. Xellos watched as a great mass of darkness covered the whole land infront of him. Before he could do anything a black gelatinous mass, something like a mixture between jet black smoke, thick tar, and something else. He tried to escape it, but the mass surrounded him, pinning him and his flaring red aura to the ground.
Filia lay on the rocky ground, she sat up groggily grasping her head, "what happened...?"
she gazed around in the inky blackness, "Xellos?" she called out not seeing him there...
Xefia stared at the dragon before her, they were siting in what seemed like a pocket of some great mass of darkness. She couldn't yet sense anything from it, but she knew this was not something that happened before, "They would have mentioned this at some point..."
It was lucky that she remained in the safety of the astral plane, she sighed if just for that piece of good news as she gazed down at her hands. She gulped hard as her hands began to loose their ethereal glow, "Shit!" she yelled out now, that she would have one last word not overheard by Filia.
"La la lala la la..." a pair of feet skipped about a dank hallway, "La lalala la la..." a pure white dress swished in the rush of movement. "La lalalala la!" Snowy giggled like a little schoolgirl as she reached the outside of Lord Beastmaster's room by some chance...
She stood outside the room her heart all aflutter, "I'm so happy!" more giggling ensued as she gazed within to see Lemure bowing before her master, "Hail Beastmaster-sama!" she couldn't help but shout to her master. Lemure stepped back to the side in disgust of the little creature before him, he straightened out his brimless glasses, clearing his throat. Snowy sweatdropped as she pulled herself from her euphoria into a slightly more dignified manner, "ahem, I mean, I'm back from... umm Xellos's room I guess, for whatever reason I was there..."
"I can see that..." Zellas stated from her chair, a ball of white yarn resting between her legs, Snowy watched her with interest as she seemed to be knitting something, "ano, excuse me Master, but what are you doing?"
Zellas looked from her work to the girl before her, "oh this?" she stated looking back to a neat scrap of cloth she had apparently knitted, "This was going to be a replacement for that lovely shirt you had on, but I see you found something else? I assume you stole it, it looks very nice on you..." Zellas complemented tossing her work and the entire yarn to the side, they immediately burst into flames becoming a smoldering heap on the ground.
Snowy's face brightened at the complement, "thank you, Master, is there anything you want from me?" she pranced about happily as she spoke feeling another rush of euphoria coarse through her...
Zellas gazed down at the ever whitening Lemure who seemed on the point of fainting, "Actually Snowy-chan you could help me, by fetching that cloak I lent you... Can you do that for me sweetie?" Zellas asked in an abnormally sweet voice that Lemure had never heard her use before, "Hai Beastmaster-sama!" She immediately strode off giggling happily from the experience, already planning further trips to see Xellos, and to show up that Dragon, she would win in the end of course.
Lemure sighed in relief, "thank you, Lord Beastmaster, I don't know how much more of that I could take..." I hate puppies...
"She will be back soon, so what do you have to report?"
Lemure cleared his throat, trying to get through his report as quickly as possible, "I have gathered reports from all over the realm and they indicate that many within your empire are shall we say... displeased" he finished with a pronounced gulp, giving Zellas bad news was never the way to general well being...
Although today she seemed relatively at ease, her eyes wandered from him to the three great weapons held on the far wall, "and?" she paused, "what is the source of their displeasure?" she focused her attention more solidly on Lemure now, although she already knew the answer.
"It would appear to be the defection of Xellos Mettalium, many on the mainland and even a few on this very island have voice feelings that you have gone too soft on him..."
Zellas began tapping her foot against the floor, Lemure gulped on reflex, "I have sent a nameless, faceless minion to monitor the situation and given my word that I would resolve it, that should be enough for them..."
Her tapping continued, if anything it picked up its pace, "Even so..."
Lemure was cut off as Zellas stood from her throne and faced the weapons, their deadly auras calling to her to bring them from their cases, to use them... to make her strong
She turned her head from the gazing pensively at Lemure, "Lemure..."
"I'm back" Snowy walked through a little more conservatively now that the feeling of her first kiss subsided to controllable levels, "sorry it took so long, it became tangled in one of the hooks and it took me some time to get it out..." she stated holding out the cloak before her...
Zellas stood between the two figures, countless thoughts ringing through her mind at once, "I think I need to see, to be sure." She turned to Snowy grasping the cloak that the pup held out for her, she wrapped it about herself, "thank you Snowy, you may leave now..."
"alright... good night then" Zellas simply nodded as Snowy exited the room and began her journey down the partly lit hallways and caverns,
Zellas's gaze turned to Lemure, "Lemure, I'm going for a walk, when I come back I want an answer..."
She turned from the mazoku record keeper walking a few paces toward the door, "wait! An answer to what Beastmaster-sama!" he called after her as she reached the door. The Lord of All Beasts turned to him a broad, predatory smile adorning her face, "Am I feared for who I am, or am I feared for those weapons that I was given?" with that she turned, disappearing into the dark with a bright flash of the deepest black.
Lemure looked puzzled, but in an instant he had turned away from the door, a confident smirk about his face before he too disappeared in the darkness.
Filia continued to stare around her, feeling nothing the rocky surface of the stream bank below her, and seeing nothing but the inky blackness of something beyond the blackest night. It was then that the flash of light caught her attention. First, a pair of hands and disembodied feet appeared, then in a line from these parts a pair of arms and legs. In a minute the torso and chest, the first indication that this was a female, appeared followed by the shoulders and head. A long cascade of dark purple hair and startlingly blue eyes finished off the form as she gazed out at the Filia. The woman blinked a few times before raising a cautious hand, "umm, hi..." This is really awkward...
Filia stared at the woman as the shock of her appearance faded remembrance occurred, "ah! Your that ancient dragon!" I'm good at recognizing faces...
The woman gazed around nervously, "no, I'm not you didn't see me at all! Be careful I have great powers!"
Filia sweatdropped as the woman made a complete fool of herself, making a "oohing" sound and waving her arms around, "ano... may I ask what your name is?"
Xefia stopped her ridiculous performance realizing it wasn't having an affect. She sheepishly placed a hand behind her head, "umm, well my name is Xefia, and I really have to be going, bye bye!"
She waved her hand in a childish fashion as she was surrounded in a flash of light. "No wait!" Filia called, but it was too late the woman had already disappeared. Filia fell back to the ground, "It would have been nice to have some company..." Just as her mopey thoughts began to swirl there was another great flash of light coupled with a scream, "Ahhhhfzzfztazfzzzfztzaahzfzttt" Xefia reappeared from the light, collapsing to the hard earth. "Are you alright!?" Filia called as she scrambled to her feet, kneeling to avoid hitting her head on the mysterious substance above her. She reached out and grabbed the purple haired womans shoulder receiving a small shock, "oww! What was that?"
"oh, don't worry, I'm fineeeeeee..." Xefia sat up another spark resembling electricity flashed around her body, "dooon't worrry abbbout it, I'll just try the other wayyy.." She stood as straight as she could, though wobbly, "bye bye then..." she waved weakly disappearing in a flash of darkness. Before she even disappeared completely the darkness ebbed away and sparks flashed all about her, "ahfzztftztzftzfztttttattaht" she again collapsed, but was caught by Filia who held an arm around her, keeping her from falling to the rocky bottom.
Her eyes blinked open slowly as she stared out into the gloom, "damn it..." she wheezed another spark running through her... "You really should stop this..."
The ancient dragon stared out into Filia's blue eyes, her expression was so solemn and concerned. She sat up as much as she could once more, "sorry, but I have places I need to be..." her legs sagged suddenly as a further spark hit her hard, "allllrighty then I'll just havvve to try both..." Filia watched in horror as a flash of darkness and light engulfed the young woman who stood only inches from her.
Xellos shot up from the ground, his ears perked up as he could swear he heard a scream. "Where am I?" he gazed around groggily through the inky blackness, his hand strayed to the back of his head. He winced as his hand reached a sore spot where he must have been knocked against the ground with some immense force. He stood in what looked to him like a long tunnel of the same inky black substance as that which had pummeled him to the ground. Although the surroundings were unfamiliar in the same sense he had been walking through tunnels most of his life, there really were only two ways to go. And if memory could be trusted Filia was last only a few yards ahead...
Filia sat before a small patch of water to a far corner of the bubble. She found from digging through the rocks that they had become encapsulated in the strange substance that now seemed as hard as stone, but in some instances as fluid as smoke. Her hair lay across her back as she soaked the bunched up ribbon in the tiny pool. She lifted it from the water squeezing it in her hand before dabbing it lightly over Xefia's forehead. The young woman lay sprawled on the ground, her head carefully placed in Filia's lap. Filia leaned back against a side of their imprisonment, staring down at the woman before her. "So your name is Xefia?" she spoke to herself as she continued to dab the moist ribbon over her, "I wonder how old you are? Maybe 800 years?" A tear fell down her cheek as more threatened to spill from her... "oh... my head"
Filia sniffed as she removed the ribbon from her forehead, "are you alright?"
Xefia gazed about groggily, holding a hand to her forehead, "I suppose well thought out plan didn't work then?" she sat up gazing at Filia who chuckled, "no... I found you smoldering on the ground."
Xefia was going to laugh too before she saw the tears spilling in the Golden Dragon's eyes, "Is being with me so repulsive to you?" a few more tears fell to the loose rocks.
Xefia frantically waved her hands about dismissively, "ohh that was nothing, I just had somewhere to be, I didn't mean I didn't want your company, I just... STOP CRYING!"
Filia stared at the ancient dragon breathing heavily from the exertion of her outburst, she wiped the tears from her eyes, "Is it really alright?" Xefia shook her head violently in the affirmative... "yes, its fine, I can stay..." I have to stay now it seems...
Xefia leaned against the wall beside Filia, "So, uhm now that I'm here... what do you want to talk about?"
Filia stared into the inky blackness her expression contemplative, "well, I like sunflowers, what kinds of things do you like?"
Xefia chuckled lightly, "alright then, I think I can answer these..."
"hmm, which way to go..." Xellos was beginning to get frustrated, it felt like he'd been walking for countless minutes through a maze of the same shifting darkness. He could remember few instances in his life where he felt so helpless as he sat for a moment against the tunnel wall. He couldn't use the astral plane, he still subconsciously rubbed the sore muscles that served as a testament to that fact. His powers seemed muted here, he couldn't sense where Filia was as much as he tried and he seemed to only get weaker as time went on in this place. He sighed pulling himself to his feet, he leaned a bit too much on his staff than he was comfortable with, but that couldn't be helped at the moment. Before him was a small chamber, a forked path sprouted from this providing three possible routes. Xellos was considering Jankenponing it when a faint sound reached his ears... He immediately dashed down the center path, "It can't be..." Xellos was not accustomed to hoping for an easy end to any situation so he held his staff at the ready infront of him as he lunged forward into the darkness. The sound became louder and more distinct, there was no mistake now that it was the panicked cries of a small child...
The small bubble prison was filled with the sound of laughter, "You really knocked over that priceless vase?! Hahahaha" Xefia burst out laughing, "It was an accident! I was just a little girl at the time and my parents overreacted..." Filia retorted huphily, but unable to suppress a grin herself...
"and so they sent you to study under the Elder and become a priestess to teach you good morals?"
"yep..." Filia carried away by the moment couldn't help but ask, "Come on I'm sure you did things in the past that your parents disapproved of..."
The good mood died away, Filia quickly covered her mouth with her hand, "oh! I can't believe I said that I'm so sorry..." I'm such an idiot!
A tear rolled down Xefia's cheek making Filia feel even worse. Xefia wiped away the tear as she watched, Filia kneeled before her bowing as low as she could, "Please forgive me for my mistake!"
"It's alright... it's alright, I can talk about my parents..." OK... gotta put the thinking cap on...
"Are you sure it's alright?" Filia leaned back once more against the wall, "I wouldn't want to dredge up bad memories..." Xefia just gave her a reassuring smile before lifting her head to what would be the stars, her expression wistful, "My parents... well, they were both amazing people who cared about each other very much. Hmm, they were kind and caring especially my mother, which is not to say my father wasn't the same, but I would describe him more as an experienced teacher, the kind of person you could really respect and sought attention from..."
Filia watched as a broad smile rounded on her face, "we did so many fun things together, going on picknicks, to the hot springs on occasion, it was a wonderful childhood... and then..."
Her expression became somber, "and then something terrible happened and my whole family died, my mother, my father, my brother..." After she said this she immediately smacked herself on the head, "Why did I say that! She's just going to take it the wrong way... baka baka baka!"
Xefia heard sniffling and turned to see large tears rolling from Filia's eyes, "I'm so sorry!" she wailed her hands clenched on her lap. Xefia watched this her hands clenched at her sides, "It's not..."
"Xefia..where..are you!?" Maven's voice interjected her sentence, Filia watched as Xefia suddenly shot upright so fast she whacked her head against the ceiling, Whack! "oww! Maven I was going to call you, but I wasn't sure telepathy was going to work" That and I didn't need another shock...
Filia watched as Xefia stood rubbing her sore head tenderly, "What is it?"
Xefia looked down at her, "I just have to talk to a friend for a minute, don't worry..."
"oh, I see..." Filia responded gazing down at the rocks sniffing as she wiped another tear from her eyes, "Kyah! Maven she's just sitting there looking so sad!"
"I called because I couldn't sense your location, what's going on there?"
Xefia shrugged, "Well, we were walking along nicely when this black stuff swarmed in from nowhere, and we became trapped in it..."
"Is that right? Do you know of anything like this happening before..." Maven's voice became pensive, "No not that I can think of at the moment..."
"hmm, I'll see what I can do... this incident may have something to do with what happened before..."
Xefia grit her teeth, "I swear I put enough power into that shot to blast that icicle to shavings!"
"Yes, that incident and this one might be related... it seems Time is not wanting this to be easy..."
"Hmph!" What about Filia?
"What about her?"
Xefia paced as much as one could in the cramped confines of their cell, "It seems I was transferred from the astral plane, so she saw me, and now we've been talking for some time now..."
"You better not have..." Maven's voice became cross,
"I haven't but Maven!" Xefia paused for a moment her gaze landing on Filia as she wallowed in the corner, "She's just sitting there beating herself up over something that happened hundreds of years ago before I was even born! I have to tell her the truth Maven!"
"Calm down!" Maven's voice wrung through her mind, she sat down hard against the rock her back hitting the hard wall, "Then what should I say Maven? Should I accept her apology for a massacre that I was never a part of? That has nothing to do with me? Should I lie to her to make her feel better?"
Filia watched dully as the young woman before her seemed to be waging a mental war. She fidgeted about, pacing, her hand held to her head at times. Until finally she just collapsed to the wall, her expression that of woe, an almost pleading look in her eyes. Filia reached out a comforting hand to her, contemplating, she pulled it away just before reaching her shoulder. She gazed down at it, holding it to her chest, "Is something wrong?" she finally asked after moments of silence...
Xefia turned her head to the golden dragon slowly, her eyes glazed over in thought, a comforting voice rang through her mind, "Tell her... Tell her exactly what you think... Whether she was responsible... tell her how you feel"
"Almost there..." Xellos ran toward the source of that wailing sound. The path had turned and rounded, with each footfall the tunnel seemed to widen out, "Whoever that is I'm going to find them... What?"
As Xellos reached a bend the sound suddenly cut off, Xellos picked up his pace further, not caring about the pain he suddenly felt in his legs, or the way his lungs burned with each staggering breath. He stopped just after rounding the bend, the tunnel funneled out into a great cavern so expansive that the sides could no longer be seen.
Xellos slowly scanned the area, a thin mist covered the area making visibility a bit more difficult. Deprived of his senses he felt blind walking through the large expanse, his eyes suddenly narrowed, "there..." he ran through the mist, his staff clanking on the hard ground toward two barely recognizable forms lying motionless on the floor.
As he reached them the mist cleared away revealing for all to see the bloodied form of Filia. Xellos stared closer, placing a hand on her body, he found an equally wounded Val clutched in her arms. He kneeled by her, "Filia..." he stroked her blood streaked hair, clearing a few stray strands from her face and tucking them behind her ear. His face was bowed, his face kept in shadow except for a broad grin that shown through the darkness. He shot up turning sharply, "Do you think I would be fooled by such an obvious trick? I have seen better done by puppies!" he called out as a figure appeared from the shadows. Xellos stared as the mist and gloom cleared, a young woman strode slowly from the entrance to the cavern. His eyes widened as he gazed at the tall woman, her long brown hair swaying in some unknown breeze, her bright blue eyes shimmering in some unknown light. He grasped his staff with both hands suddenly becoming weak in the knees. He struggled to maintain his vision as it seemed to blur, "Whoever you are..." he grit his teeth against a growing pain in his chest, "I can't believe you would stoop to this... ahhh" he clutched his chest as he knelt to the ground, "She's.. been dead.. for nearly a...thousand years.." he gasped out bringing his staff forward, he swung it with as much forth as he could muster... but just before it struck her, he stopped... the staff stood motionless in the air.
"It may be a low trick..." Xellos's staff clattered to the ground, the woman placed a hand to his forehead, "What are you...?" he managed to blurt out before his eyes became unfocused. His eyes shut as he fell to the floor, as he collapsed to the ground, a red glow trailed behind him. As his body hit the ground the glow coalesced into an after image of Xellos, following his body to the ground, almost breaking away from it...
The woman watched as the red glow disappeared, "but at least it made you less difficult"
A sound wrung through the great cavern. It was a series much like the repeated clattering of metal against metal. A bright blue light enshrouded the woman as she was lifted a few inches from the smooth floor her form changed. She grew a few inches taller, her hair turned to a golden blond, her eyes to a dull brown, and the simple long dress she wore transformed into a shimmering white robe that spilled down to the floor. She held a staff in her left hand, it was a simple wooden rod, at its top was a fine golden point and broad extensions that curled back to the rod itself. Inside these loops were several smaller rings that lifted and clanged against the metal creating the sound, they stopped jostling against the sides and rested against the base. Her expression was hard to read, but her eyes showed great contemplation, "I hope you are happy Xellos, in the choice that you have made..." The rings clanged together as she disappeared in a flash of darkness.
"No matter what happened in the past.. no matter how great a tragedy that occurred, you were not responsible..." Xefia paused taking Filia's hand into hers, tears welled in her eyes, "I want you to know that you are a very kind person who would never commit such a horrible crime, and so you shouldn't feel sorry" Xefia's voice began to waiver, she clutched Filia's hand to her cheek, her eyes closed blinking away the tears, "I want you to be happy! To live for the future... not dwell on the past..."
Filia stared through clouded eyes at the sobbing creature before her, she felt the warmth of her hands and the wetness of her tears... "Xefia..."
The ancient dragon lifted her gaze to her as Filia withdrew her hand, "Xefia.." she began to wipe away her tears, when she brought her hand away a smile pierced the gloom of her tearstained face, "Thank you..."
"Your welcome..." The two broke into a kind of laughter that rejuvenated both from their sorrows. Filia sniffed a few more times wiping the last vestiges of tears from her face, Xefia did the same with a scoop of water from the small pool. "Ah! That's much better..." they both said at the same time and in the same way causing another bought of laughter...
"Xefia?" A familiar voice filled her mind, "I've reached somewhere near the spot..."
The young woman floated high above a great dark splotch covering the land, visible only due to the light of the moon and stars. She crossed her legs as she lowered to just a few yards above a portion of the great mass, "I am going to see what I can do out here... I don't want to make a mistake and fry you... but we can't waste time..."
Xefia sweatdropped as she lay against the wall, "ehhh heh, I know you'll make the right decision..." Part of her felt that her friend, as much of a friend as she was, would make a rash decision for the sake of the schedule, "Should we just wait here until something happens? We don't really have anything else to do... Xellos not being around, I doubt we could break this black stuff..."
Maven held out her hands flat against the ground below her, "That should do!" she called out as a great wave of darkness shot from her. Below, the blast contacted the mass of darkness blowing a whole through it, and even a crater into the ground... "This could take longer than I thought" Maven felt a small sweatdrop form, she sighed, "Xefia it may not look like it too you..." she paused as the dark fluid mist filled in the hole, covering the ground, the whole black mass shifted violently, "But whatever this stuff is, it seems to be moving, constantly... it may be some time before I can get you out..."
Xefia sighed, "alright then..." she turned to Filia who looked back at her questioningly, "my friend says that, it may take some time before we can get out of here"
"Oh? What is this friend like?" Telepathy I guess, its not like its that uncommon... Filia asked placing her hands behind her head against the wall, Xefia lay back on the loose gravel toying with a stone in her hand, "well... she can be a very bossy person..." And maybe a little bratty...
The same bossy, perhaps bratty, woman sat above the scene where three very important people lay trapped. Her long brown hair shimmered in the moonlight, her bright red eyes were set and focused, her hands flat, parallel to the ground. With a slight exertion of her muscles energy flared around her and a blast shot forth toward the seething mass below. The darkness below dissipated, revealing a bare patch of ground for a moment before it was swallowed again by the shifting darkness. She scanned the area before moving to a new place, a blast resounding through the night. Again and again she continued this pattern all through the night, hoping that she would blast near them, and not on them. Finally after hours of doing this she collapsed to the ground, "I need a new plan..." she stared into the waning light of the moon, the sun near ready to rise above the horizon.
Maven sat up wiping a bead of sweat from her forehead, "Perhaps..." she strode from the grassy patch she had found, next to the dark blotch on the landscape was a large oasis. She walked from the tree lined splendor until she stood only feet from the darkness, which had become more unsightly in the light of the sun.
She held her hand out flat against the hard surface, a blast of dark energy shot forth from her hand. The darkness fell away like concrete forming a small hole, she gazed through it to see a long stretch of tunnel. Instantly the darkness began to reform over the wound, Maven saw her chance, diving through the hole before it could reform she fell to the ground rolling to a standing position. She straightened out her dark brown cloak before beginning a slow walk forward, she held out her hand and in a flash of darkness a beautiful katana appeared in her hand.
Clack..Clack...Clack! Xefia sighed, she had been busying herself tossing stones about, but even this was beginning to become boring. Filia had fallen asleep and now lay against the wall, Xefia felt comforted by her soft breathing. She scooched over to the wall, lying against it, she closed her eyes. She could still hear Filia, her slow breathing in and out, she could even swear she heard her heartbeat. It was so soothing she was beginning to fall asleep... "Xefia, get..."
"huh?" She sat up suddenly rubbing her eyes, "what is it?" she glanced around for a moment before lying back against the wall. A sharp blade shot through the rock floor just inches from her leg, "Ahh!"
Xefia scrambled to her feet, Filia woke up to see her pressing as close as she could to the wall, "Xefia, what is it?" it was then that her groggy vision saw the shining blade sawing through the bottom of the cozy little bubble, her mind shot to action, "ah!" she screamed as she pulled her legs from the blade as it passed. In an instant the bottom fell away, Filia watched as a woman poked her head through the large hole she had created. Maven stared from right to left at the shocked and incredulous faces, "what? I said get ready..."
Xefia dashed through the whole, pausing a moment to stretch her arms as high as she could, "Kyah! That feels so much better, hai Filia-san" she held out her hand helping the dragon through the hole. The three stood in a long tunnel, Filia looked down both ends, but failed to see an end to either. She then gazed more closely at the third woman, she had long brown hair and dazzling red eyes, "and I assume your name is Maven?"
Maven turned to her, placing her katana in a sheath that now appeared at her side, "hai..." she then rounded on Xefia pulling her to the side by her ear, "owww! What is it Maven?"
She let go a few paces away, "Xefia-san..." her voice deadly sweet, "how much did you tell her?" Xefia shrugged, "Just your name and some insignificant details about your unique mannerisms..."
Maven sighed, "alright, we have to go... I haven't found Xellos yet, but we should get Filia out first..." she turned to Filia, "Come on we're going..." with that Maven dashed forward down the tunnel.. Xefia waited a moment, "Come on Filia..." she grabbed Filia's arm as they dashed down the tunnel after Maven, "What about Xellos!?' she called to her saviors, "Don't worry about him, we'll find him later..."
Maven dashed through a maze of tunnels and cavernous rooms that seemed to stretch forever... it had taken her sometime to find the way... she hoped that they still had enough time...
After nearly thirty minutes they reached a wall that seemed to stretch for miles in any direction. Without even stopping Maven drew her katan, slicing forward the cutting force expanded out from the blade, cutting a wide swath of the darkness. It fell like blocks of stone to the ground before dissipating like smoke. The three rushed from the darkness as the great gouge reformed behind them. Filia stumbled to the ground breathing hard as she struggled to catch her breath from the long run. "Shit!" Maven had to cover her eyes from the glaring light of the late afternoon sun, "We lost almost a day..."
Xefia met Maven's worried gaze with one of her own as they both stared into the sun. "Xellos!" They turned from the bright light immediately at the sound of Filia's high pitched scream. They saw her running toward a prone form lying on the soft grass...
Xellos opened his eyes, he stared into a dark and hazy place. He tried to move, but found he could not... he stared into the haze to find it coalescing to form something. The scene grew darker as two forms coalesced from the mist, a shining red blur, and a shining blue blur. As he stared the figures stepped from the mist becoming almost clear enough to see...
"Xellos!"
He blinked hearing a familiar voice through the void, he awoke to a bright day, his eyes seemed to focus. He stared out feeling something warm and comforting through his gloved hand, "Xellos?" he turned to see Filia swathed in the bright light of the sun, "sashiburi Fi-chan" he said slowly, watching her expression brighten. He sat up feeling his strength return to him..."where are we?" his gaze shifted from her to Xefia and Maven standing a short distance away... "and who are they?" he said rubbing his head as it throbbed continually...
"Xellos, Xefia and me were trapped in that, thing, over there, do you remember what happened to you?"
Before Xellos could answer his eyes widened, he growled as he stared down the hill, Filia followed his vision to see a tall woman with long blond hair below. "Bastard!" Xellos yelled as he dashed below, "wait Xellos!" Filia followed him, her eyes never leaving the woman, her cold gaze evident from even that distance...
Xellos arrived first at the bottom of the hill, he stared at the woman with perhaps more hate in his eyes than he ever had anyone else.
"You look mad..." the woman held a light smile about her face as she stared at the seething mazoku, "I've killed a lot more people for a lot less than what you did..." he growled fiercely at the blond haired woman. "As have I..." the woman responded in the same sweet voice,
Filia watched as a fiery aura surrounded Xellos, she could feel the heat from the shining read aura, could hear his growling voice... "EienVualFier!" he cried out into the waning afternoon sun. A plume of burning fire and blazing red aura shot forth from Xellos toward the blond woman. She smirked dangerously, the rings on her staff sounded quickly and harshly as she brought her staff to the fore. Filia watched as a great bubble of light shot around her, her breath caught in her throat, "Holy Barrier!" she cried, What's going on...!
The stream of flame and energy reacted all around the barrier erupting in a cascade of conflagration. Xellos knelt to the ground, he hadn't gotten his full strength back, even this relatively simple spell was draining him...
Filia saw him fall to the ground, she looked from the woman, the flames erupting all around her, to Xellos as he grew weaker and weaker on the ground. She could think of only one thing to do...
"Xellos!" she dashed forward, the mazoku didn't turn such was his concentration at that moment, but had to react as he felt a warm body over his. He turned his head slightly to see hers over his shoulder, "Filia?"
She braved the burning aura that flared all around her to place her hands over his, the aura burned her hands, but she held them there, "Ha!"
She yelled, her eyes closed as her own bright aura surrounded her, Xellos felt a burning sensation across his back as her aura reached him. The pain in her hands heightened, but Filia was pleased to see her aura be taken up with Xellos's, the great stream of burning red mixed with her pure light. Xellos stared in wonder as the energy shot forth, Filia's holy magic joined with that of the barrier, like two soap bubbles joining. The woman stared down the fire swirling all about her, the flames making her expression hard to see, but it could be certain that some type of smile adorned her features.
The ringing of her staff increased, Xellos watched as the swirling flame and energy was repulsed along with her holy barrier. He stopped casting the spell, the red energy and flame dissipated around him as he remained kneeled. The woman floated above them, her staff held out, it seemed that she was ready to cast yet another spell. A great blast of darkness erupted all around her, Filia turned to see Maven holding her hand out flat, a warm breeze ran through the soft grasses and tall trees of the oasis.
"Don't meddle!" Maven called out, her voice utterly serious it reverberated across the entire area. The woman still remained floating in the air, she wiped a small smudge that had appeared on her robe, "You meddled first little girl..." she continued sweetly, "I am only here to balance the scales..."
With that the woman disappeared, the great black splotch disappeared as into a cloud of dark vapor that dissipated into nothing. Xellos turned his gaze to Filia, "That was great Fi-chan to think you could come up with something helpful!"
Filia half laughed, "hahaha thank you Xellos! Die!" she whacked forward with her hand, but he managed to roll to the ground to avoid it... in the end they both chased each other until their exhaustion forced them to the ground.
Xefia stared down at them happily, "well they seem to be getting along nicely..." I should make them kiss again... tee hee
A hand bopped her squarely on the head, "oww! What was that for Maven-san"
"I know what you were thinking..." the young woman replied, "we lost a day and now we have to make it up somehow..." Maven mused putting a hand to her chin as she stared at the waning sunlight...
"Maven..." the young woman turned feeling her friends shaking hand on her arm, "Xefia? What's wrong?"
Her friend was shaking badly, her face seemed white, "we have to go, now!" she was staring out into the waning sun. Maven continued to gaze at her looking concerned, "why? What's going to happen?"
"If I'm right about the timing something very bad is about to happen and I don't want to be here to see it so please! We have to go!"
Maven looked worried, but nodded all the same, "alright..." the two disappear into the darkness...
"And the one in the brown hair over there is... Maven?" Filia gazed over to the hilltop to find the two had disappeared, "I guess they decided to leave..."
Xellos sat up from the soft grass, "anyway we should probably be going, the sun will be going down in a few hours, but their might be a town near this oasis"
Xellos held his staff in his hand testing his grip again, "I hope I get back in shape soon..." Something back there really knocked me out...
"Xellos..." the purple haired mazoku heard her call him, he noticed she had not moved from her place as he turned to see her, "Filia? Something wrong?"
Her face held a look of complete terror, "Help..." a tear ran down her face, her voice was pleading, "Filia, what?"
Xellos could only watch as Filia was slowly lifted into the air, she was crying out in fear until she was a few inches from the ground. With a sickening indescribable sound a hand pierced through her abdomen, Xellos watched, his eyes widened in shock as Filia was flung to the ground. As she lay blood gushed from her gaping wound soaking the ground, "Xellos..." she called out feebly before falling into unconsciousness...
"Filia!" he ran to her side gazing up into the sky as a familiar predatory voice filled his ears, "you see Xellos, all too easy..."
-----------------
Chapter Ten: Waste of Time end
Wow! This was almost torture to finally put down on paper... my longest chapter yet...
I hope that many of my fans have been patient enough to settle through my long delays in posting this chapter... I hope it is a good enough read for you all and that it continues to meet your expectations of me in the future... I love you all! Collapses dead on keyboard of congenital heart failure...
P.S I also hope you inform me of my dismal failures to you as they appear... so that I may grow as a writer and explore further the glorious career therein...
Next Up! Chapter Eleven: The Greatest Spell