Author's Notes: Well, I don't I was supposed to do this… but, I actually came up with a response to my own CHALLENGE… It wouldn't leave me alone I didn't think it right to put it anywhere else other then here. I would like to have more responses to this, but I don't think people quite understand just how much I left open to interpretation… Remember, the CHALLENGE is based on a third-party columnist… that just about gives you all the right in the world! Come one! I'm sure that since some of you didn't like Filia being dead, then tell me what happened to her-And most importantly, what's in the coffin- CHALLENGE people, work with me!
Disclaimer: I don't own Slayers… neither do I own "Forgive Me" by Evanescence.
Forgive Me
Can you forgive me again?
I don't know what I said
But I didn't mean to hurt you
Xellos looked into her unblinking, crystal blue eyes. This wasn't how things were supposed to be. She shouldn't have died. He should have been there for her. He couldn't, but she didn't know that. Now it was too late.
I heard the words come out
I felt that I would die
It hurt so much to hurt you
"Xellos," Zelas, Lord Beastmaster, called, "Come here, my dear."
Her Priest appeared immediately and bowed low to the ground, "Yes, Mistress?"
The Demon Lord set down her goblet of wine and turned all of her attention to her favorite servant.
"She's dead," Zelas smiled, "Go pay your respects."
He regarded her curiously, "Who's dead, Mistress?"
"Your pet dragon, Xellos," she leaned back, smiling inwardly at him momentary laps in control, "You may now see her again."
Without even bothering to stand, Xellos teleported away to the one place he'd desired to visit for so long.
Then you look at me
You're not shouting anymore
You're silently broken
He reached a gloved hand out to close her eyes.
This was his fault.
Carefully, he lifted her still form from off the floor and carried her up the stairs to her bedroom. Laying her down upon the bed, he wiped a strand of her wheat-colored hair from her face.
"How did you die, Filia?" he whispered.
He took in her small form, but he could not see any blood. Cautiously, he removed parts of her high-necked nightgown to inspect for injury. As he pushed up the sleeves of her gown, he noticed pale-white angry lines crisscrossing her arms.
"Oh, Filia," his voice hitched.
The cuts were several months old, he could tell as he ran a gloved finger over the indentures.
"I'm so sorry this happened," he closed his eyes against the pain he felt, "I never meant to hurt you."
I'd give anything now
to kill those words for you
Opening his eyes once more, he continued his search. After several minutes of probing and finding nothing he replaced the clothing he had moved.
Shaking his head, he frowned, "What happened, Filia?"
Reaching tentatively out with his powers, Xellos found what he was looking for.
Each time I say something I regret I cry,
"I don't want to lose you."
But somehow I know that you will never leave me, yeah.
The residue power left inside of her body left no mistake as to what had transpired.
Xellos turned sharply, trying to control his anger, and walked over to Filia's vanity. Gripping the sides of the table, he tried calm his feelings.
'I'll kill her,' he repeated over and over again to himself.
Slowly, his head raised and he found himself glaring into the reflection of himself. Glaring into his demonic eyes. Eyes she gave him.
With a strained growl, Xellos launched the vanity at the door from which he'd entered. The pieces shattered spraying debris in every direction.
'Cause you were made for me
Somehow I'll make you see
How happy you make me
Absently, he pulled a long piece of glass from his forearm and went back to Filia's side.
Ripping off his gloves, his fingers grazed her lips. His eyes burned as a lone tear escaped and trailed down his cheek.
"I will kill her," he vowed, "For you, Filia, that I promise."
I can't live this life
Without you by my side
I need you to survive
"Excuse me, weren't you the Priest who gave the eulogy?"
Xellos turned his closed-eyed grin onto the speaker, "Yes, I was. What can I do for you?"
"I'm from the local newspaper, I do the obituaries and I was wondering if I could get a few comments from you about the recently deceased?"
"Ah, yes," he smiled brightly, "I've heard you asking everyone. Though, I must say I'm not too pleased with some of their responses."
"Why's that?"
"My My, I guess I was the one who knew Miss Filia the most," Xellos wondered aloud, "She and I were best friends, in a way."
"Does that mean you two were close?"
"I would visit her often," he conceded, "however over the last few years I haven't been able to. Priestly duties and all. But-Oh, I will miss her splendid tea. Miss Filia was not the kind of person you'd forget easily… well, at least I'll never forget her. I do wonder why she did it. I guess that's the greatest secret of them all."
"Uh-huh, anything else?"
Xellos thought for a moment of all the things he loved about Filia, but they all died before they reached his lips and he shook his head.
So stay with me
You look in my eyes and I'm screaming inside that I'm sorry.
Outside of the Sayrun castle it was dark. The ceremony continued on within the walls, but outside the snow lay several feet thick. A frozen blanket continuously laid down by a steady stream of snowflakes.
Only one thing broke the stillness of the night, a figure moving increasingly further from the warmth and into the cemetery.
At the headstone of the new grave he stopped.
"For you, my beloved, I will kill her," Xellos' face was set, "I will kill Zelas."
And he disappeared, the only sign he'd even been there was a quickly filling hole in the snow in front of a stone that said, "Here lies Filia Ul Copt - May she rest forever more within the light of the angels".
And you forgive me again
You're my one true friend
And I never meant to hurt you
AN: Get to working, people! Email me those stories! All credit for your submission will be given freely to you! You can enter more than once! Reviews will be forwarded to you! Info is found on the first 'chapter' of this story! Email to: JoyCrux at yahoo dot com