Slayers does not belong to me. It's the property of Kadokawa Shoten.

To A1C Jason Colbert, who threatened me until I started writing this again.

Faces: Finale!

Chapter 15

Perception and Reality

Perception guides reality.

The sky above WolfPack Island was the perfect example. Due to the magical forces that made up the very essence of the island, dark clouds always covered it, forming a canopy of gloom and hopelessness. Standing on the shore or on a mountain on WolfPack Island, the sky was just one more barrier to get through to freedom, a barrier one could not hope to pierce.

If someone happened to be flying above the cloud layer, one could look up and see the blue sky, freedom and happiness, while looking down below would prompt feelings of pity and relief. Pity for the poor souls trapped on the ground, relief that they themselves weren't down there.

Today, however, was different. Pity and relief would be joined by puzzlement.

There was a great deal more lightning in those clouds this morning. Blue, red, gold and silver lightning, cracking and criss-crossing through the clouds.

Thunder was not a dull rumble, but high-pitched screeches of pain and rage. Mixed with the wet precipitation of the clouds was dry smoke from charred flesh.

The sky above WolfPack was now a battlefield.

Mazoku of every size, shape and description darted in and out of clouds and smoke plumes firing astral beams at one another, but this was only the highest level of the battlefield. Below the clouds, even more Mazoku circled a black tower.

One Mazoku was struck a glancing blow by a beam of purple light and struck the tower, exploding in a flash of blue flame as its astral essence disintegrated.

The Mazoku were at war.

AAAA

"More bad news!" Misa announced with false chipperness. "Ready?"

Jinnar ripped the dispatch from her hands and read it. "Fortus Caradas has fallen?!" he shrieked. He tore the note up and tossed the remnants aside. "HOW CAN THIS HAPPEN!? HOW?!"

Misa shrugged. "Every time they take a citadel, more Mazoku join them. The ones that don't aren't killed, but sent west to join the 3rd Division watching The Depths."

Jinnar growled as Misa continued.

"Their odds are better if they lose and survive."

"TRAITORS! THEY'RE ALL TRAITORS!" Jinnar raved.

Misa sighed. "Yes, yes, every Mazoku on WolfPack has a personal grudge against YOU....."

Jinnar fixed a rage-filled eye on her. "Remember your place," he hissed.

The blonde bowed. "My apologies, Great Lord Jinnar. What are your orders?"

Jinnar went to the window and looked out. "Recall the 3rd Division," he ordered. Misa blinked in astonishment. "We'll use them to bolster our defenses."

Misa tried to wrap her mind around what she was hearing. "Lord Jinnar," she began carefully, "Mon ami.... The 3rd Division is the only thing keeping Deep Sea Dolphin from coming to our doorstep and stirring shit." She shook her head. "She's never forgiven Her Majesty for that Phibrizzo/Gaav thing."

Jinnar grabbed her by the hair and pulled her up to his face. "WHEN YOU ARE HOLDING THIS STAFF, THEN YOU CAN BE GENERAL! UNTIL THEN, DO AS YOU'RE TOLD!" He shoved her away, and the girl landed on her butt.

Misa rose to her feet and bowed. "As you wish.....Lord General."

AAAA

Callisto walked down the red carpet of Filia's royal tent toward the dragon and went to his forepaws. "Milady, Fortus Caradas is ours."

Filia smiled. "You were right. Attacking from the sky was the right thing to do."

The cat sat on his haunches and flicked his tail back and forth in satisfaction. "Not all the strategy and tactics went to my brother."

Filia knelt next to him, a difficult task as she was still wearing the ornate dress the Mazoku made for her. It was important, as Callisto said, to appear as Mazokuish as possible.

"Tell me about him," she begged quietly. "I have some of his memories, but they're through his eyes."

"Xellos...." Callisto began. "Xellos was an easy Mazoku to follow, and easy to hate. He always came out on top."

Sadness came over her features, and she stood. "His feelings for me killed him," she admitted quietly.

"His feelings for you made him stronger than any other Mazoku in history," the cat told her. "He defied his overlord and lived. He came out on top one last time."

He approached her. "It's.....easy to see what he saw in you," he told her. "There's strength in you."

"Strength?" she almost sobbed "You see strength in ME?! I'm on the verge of losing it every second of every day!"

"Yet you persevere," he told her. "I've seen MANY other dragons in my time who claimed to have that strength, and I've watched them break from much, much less than what you've done."

That strange feeling struck her again. She couldn't put her finger on it before, but she had an idea now.

"Callisto," she said quietly. "How far apart in age were you and Xellos?"

He lightly pawed at the hem of her dress, a nervous gesture. "Her Majesty saw fit to create us both on the same day," he told her.

"You were the same age," she whispered. "Callisto," she continued, almost sternly, "Are you in Peak?"

His paw stopped. "I....had hoped to delay its effects until after Jinnar was overthrown," he admitted. "Lately, however, it has become....rather difficult to concentrate."

"I'm sorry," she said and meant it. "Is there anyone......"

"No one," he said, looking up at her. "A Mazoku of my class cannot simply mate with just anyone. Surely he told you......"

Filia blushed a bit. "Actually, he said Mazoku women were skanks and that he couldn't talk to them."

Callisto huffed and sat down. "Leave it to him to simplify things. The bottomline, my dear, is that Xellos was able to mate with you because of your lineage. Your astral essence was strong enough to withstand his. A lesser dragon or even a lesser Mazoku would have been killed before conception."

"I don't understand."

"You are the daughter of Bazaard Ul Copt," he told her.

"Well, yes," she said, puzzled. "My father was a priest in the Temple of the Fire Dragon King. When he died, I took his place."

Callisto narrowed his eyes. "You're joking, of course," he said. At Filia's blank look, he continued. "Milady, Bazaard Ul Copt led your people against us during the War of the Monsters' Fall. He and Xellos dueled three times."

"What?" Filia whispered.

"Yes," he continued. "Your father was Xellos' greatest enemy."

AAAAA

The rain was coming down in buckets when Lina and Naga crossed the bridge into Omanatnaug, a trading post at the far edge of the Singing Vale. Lightning illuminated a small burg with buildings made of wood and stone and no larger than two stories tall. Only faint traces of smoke could be seen from the chimneys, the rain and the wind took care of the rest.

The two sorceresses stepped under a small alcove for a short respite from the rain while they planned their next move.

"What next move?" Naga asked with an arched eyebrow.

"You had a plan, right?" Lina asked, prompting the sorceress for more information. "You DID go off on your own, after all......."

"So did you! What makes you think I know what to do?!"

"You're the one who led us here!" the redhead accused her.

"I DID NOT!"

Lina banged her head against the back wall and tried to think. Naga huffed and faced the other direction.

"Hey, is Paulie still here?" Lina asked suddenly.

"Paulie?" Naga repeated, glancing back at her partner. "You mean that little bartender toad at the Lead Briscuit?"

"Yeah," Lina nodded, a bit more enthusiastically. "The guy with the funny accent."

"He's an idiot," Naga huffed.

"He's got connections," Lina corrected.

"With the local drunks!" Naga shot back.

"Better than that," Lina told her with an upraised finger. "He's a Mazoku."

This threw Naga back a pace. She recovered a second later. "You made that up!"

"I did not!"

"I know what a Mazoku feels like, and that runty little pervert isn't one of them!"

Lina shook her head. "Nope, he's Deep Sea Dolphin's man on the ground here. She drained enough of his power to fool other Mazoku or passing sorcerers. Of course, this makes him very weak and vulnerable." She grinned and finished. "Which makes him very susceptible to...." She cracked her knuckles. "Suggestion."

Naga smiled. "I have LOTS of suggestions."

AAAA

The party was in full swing.

The Lead Briscuit was not known for its parties. It was known for being a crossroads of adventurers, the kind of place you read about where Dwarves meet Halflings and set out on adventures together.

However, in that particular adventure, there wasn't a sorceress dancing on a tabletop with her cape over her head.

Or loud music that made conversation impossible.

And there was never, ever, at any time in history, an event where drinks were on the house.

Naturally, it took Lina and Naga a moment to adjust.

"What is going on here?" Naga asked rhetorically.

Lina grabbed her ear. "Come on! I found him!" she shouted at her.

The two made their way through the raucous crowd to a small man sitting at the bar. He was wearing a purple shirt and a gold necklace with the word, "Sexy" written in diamonds. A small earring hung from his right ear.

He saw them and put his drink down. "Lina Inverse!" he shouted. "Joey, mate, get these two ladies a pint!" He walked up and hugged the redhead, much to her surprise. Not to her surprise, however, she did feel him make a grab at her rear.

"Get off me, perv!" she cried with a punch to his stomach.

Paulie doubled over, wheezing. "All right, mate, all right." He quickly righted himself, a veteran of being turned down violently. "At least have a drink on me, all right?"

"We're not here for the party," Naga told him.

"On that note, what's going on?" Lina interjected. "You didn't offer free drinks when the last owner of this place died. What's the occasion?"

Paulie was grinning as he handed them two cups. "Okay, lassies, this on the QT, a'right? Gotta keep me cover an'all, but since you knows all 'bout that anyway....."

"Get to the point," Naga ordered.

Paulie looked like a boy who just found out he was getting a pony for his birthday. "Word just came in from The Depths," he said. "Xellos.....is dead. Cheers!" He took a deep drought from his ale.

Naga's eyes went wide. "What?" she gasped.

Paulie slapped the table in glee. "Aye, t'at's right! Stupid wanker got pinched by one of Metallium's Guardians, they say! Threw the whole island in a tizzy! Couldn't happen to'a better bloke! Cheers!" He took another drink.

Naga took a step back, trying to digest it. "Wha....What about a dragon?" she asked suddenly. "A Golden Dragon! Did you hear anything about that!?"

"Hey, I'm not'a prophet, y'know!" he replied.

Lina stepped between them. "Look, Paulie, I need a favor."

"Well you picked the right day," he said with a smile.

"You know a guy named Scarrin?"

Paulie's face suddenly became more reserved. "Oh.....Him..... One of Dynast's boys, him. He's a bigwig, round here."

"You talk to him?" she asked.

"To his blokes, when they come in," he said. "Why?"

"There's a bridge at the other end of town," Lina went on. "Tell him we're camping under it."

Naga slapped the back of Lina's head. "Are you high?! That'll bring him right to.....Oh, I get it...."

Lina threw the brunette a dirty look and rubbed the back of her head. She turned back to Paulie. "Just tell him."

"Woah," he said. "Hold on a minute, he'ya," he said. "You're asking me to stab a fellow Mazoku in the back....."

"Not at all," Lina said. "It's win-win for you. I'm sure if you were in contact with your Mistress, she'd tell you about the kind of things Scarrin's been doing, none of which she'd agree with. So if you help us take him out, you get a piece of the credit. And if Scarrin gets us...."

".... Her Grace is rid of you, and Scarrin owes me one," Paulie finished. He bit his lip in thought. "All right, babes!" he said, pointing at them. "You got yourself a deal!"

AAAAA

Filia tried to dream of Xellos, but he didn't come. Instead she saw Xera, watched her "come together" you could say. Filia would imagine her with dark hair, and she would watch Xera react to it. She seemed dead set on purple, her father's shade. It was almost a spiritual shopping trip, trying on different styles and discarding them until one felt right. She'd had this dream often....

"Lady Metallium?"

Her eyes popped open. She had fallen asleep in the chair in her tent again. Blinking the sleep out of her eyes, she looked down and saw Callisto standing there. She mentally bit her lip, still perplexed and concerned about Callisto's situation. If the cat was, indeed, in Peak, it opened the door to several worrisome possibilities. At the height of Peak, Xellos had been uncontrollable, and she NEEDED Callisto in top form to make this work.

Also, his revelation about her father concerned her. She had known Xellos for a few years now, and it wouldn't have surprised her in the slightest to find out that Xellos had chosen her as a mate simply as a way to spite her father. However, having seen into his mind and heard his voice in her head, she couldn't believe that.

"Callisto," she greeted him. "Is everything okay?"

"We're finished," he said. "We think we have a plan."

She stood up and stretched. "Think?" she repeated.

"Of course," he replied. "It can hardly be a plan until our Lady has approved it. Until then, it is merely a stupid idea."

She saw the smile in his eyes and returned it. Yawning, she stretched again.

"Sleep well?" he asked.

"Kind of," she said. "I dreamt of my daughter."

"Ah," he said. "How goes the Shaping?"

She blinked. "The what?"

"The Shaping," he repeated. "It is, after all, about the time in your pregnancy when you'll choose your child's attributes."

"So that's what that is," she whispered. She shook her head and snapped out of her reverie. "Your plan?"

"Come," he said. "I'll take you to the main tent."

AAAAAA

The river was deep enough and slow enough to where it didn't make an annoying babbling noise that poets liked to talk about. It simply flowed under the bridge and past the small, grassy bank that was home of two tents, themselves the home of two sorceresses.

They weren't bothering to fuel their small campfire; the wood was still too wet from the rain that had since come to an end. They were just waiting now, Naga leaning against the stone wall of the bridge, and Lina lying on the moist grass.

"I want to talk about it," Naga said abruptly.

Lina arched an eyebrow. "Talk about what?" she replied.

"You know," Naga tossed back. She sat up. "Look, Lina chan, I have a lot of worries about this plan of yours, but I'm far too powerful and courageous to worry about it." She tossed her hair, Lina rolled her eyes. "But just in case," she continued quietly, "I don't want us to part like this."

Lina was silent for several moments, not acknowledging her partner in any way. Finally, "Say your peace."

Thrown off guard, it took Naga a moment to collect her thoughts. When she finally it spoke, it was with more eloquence than she usually used.

"You're just being unfair!"

Lina clapped her hands. "Oh, good argument," she announced. "Remind me to never hire you as an attorney."

"Just think of the circumstances, Lina," Naga argued. "If you had been taught the things I was, you would've agreed to the same thing! You saw what kind of power he had in Seyruun! We've lived with that threat our entire lives!"

"It's not that, it's that you LIED to me!" Lina shot back. "I could handle the rest," she mumbled.

"Bullshit!" Naga cried. "You're pissed because we thought it was you! How could ANYONE suspect Lina Inverse, hero of the downtrodden?!" she mocked. "Rezo was a hero too, you know....."

Lina turned to her. "Yeah, and you did a real good job with him, didn't you?"

"We thought it was you! It fit!" Naga pleaded. "Lina, even Luna thought so."

"Che!"

Naga sighed. "We knew the legend of where the seven shards of Shabranigdo were kept involved a person as well as a place," she went on. "We knew it had to do with a link to a Wise Man of the Age." She took a breath. "And we knew your father was one of them, the Fifth. We didn't know it was Rezo, we had no way of knowing!" She shook her head. "You tossed around his spells so easily, what else was Luna supposed to think?"

Lina said nothing for a moment. "She sent you to kill me," she concluded softly. "That's why you always refused to leave me alone." She turned and looked at her, her eyes full of accusatory hate. "You weren't spying on me at all.You were waiting to make sure I was who Luna thought I was. That's why she sent you, a Seyruunian-trained priestess. And that's why you never told me who and what you really were."

Naga said nothing, partly because some of it was true. Words finally came to her. "Luna and I crossed paths, and she asked me to keep an eye on you, that's all. If you weren't the one carrying Shabranigdo's essence, you would never have known about it. Luna wasn't supposed to tell you."

"You pretended to be my friend," Lina accused her.

"I AM your friend!" Naga cried.

Lina turned away from her. "If you're my friend, answer a question for me," she said. Naga waited. "It's been gnawing at me every since I saw you again."

"What?" The princess prompted.

"I..... I... Thought it was pretty coincidental," she said. "How the descendent of the Swordsman of Light just happened to cross my path a month or so after you and I split up." She paused. "Is..... Is Gourry.... A part of this?"

"No," Naga answered quickly. "Absolutely not."

"Would Luna have told you if he was?" she asked.

Naga came up short. "No," she confessed. "She wouldn't."

Lina stood up. "And that's supposed to make me feel better?"

Before Naga could answer, a small, glowing green ball bounced down the hill and under the bridge, coming to a stop between them.

"Oh, goody," Lina muttered. "They're here."

The ball exploded into a cloud of green smoke. Naga watched Lina fall to the ground unconscious. As she, herself, slipped into slumber, she couldn't help but feel thankful that their conversation had been so rudely interrupted.

AAAAA

"What's going on?" Birdy mumbled to Will as the throne tent filled with Mazoku. Although Birdy still wasn't up on her "Who's Who of Mazoku Military Leaders," it appeared to her that every Mazoku who led two others was cramming into this tent.

"Don't know," Will mumbled back. "Maybe we should ask Filia."

"Maybe we shouldn't," she chastised him. "Who knows what she's up to?"

They turned as a hush fell over the crowd. Filia had entered the tent with Sethra on one side and Callisto on the other. Sethra still wore her Mazoku outfit as Filia's lady-in-waiting, but had long since removed the make-up. She bowed slightly to Filia and took a seat nearby. The Mazoku waited for the Golden Lady to speak.

"Jinnar has made a critical error, and the time for our attack has come," she announced. The Mazoku murmured among themselves. "Reports gleaned from our interrogation of Jinnar loyalists captured during the last battle has revealed that Jinnar is in a state of desperation, and that Castle WolfPack's defenses have been all but stripped as he weeds out Mazoku he believes loyal to Her Majesty."

More mumbling.

"But most important of all," Filia continued. "We've learned that Jinnar has recalled the 3rd Division from The Depths."

Dead silence.

"If there is any hope of victory and avoiding a war with Deep Sea Dolphin, a decisive victory must be won NOW," she declared. "Callisto....."

The cat hopped up onto Filia's shoulder. "The walls of Castle Wolfpack are enchanted," he announced, "And as you know, have never fallen to any invader. A victory here will require stealth and deception." He nodded to the center of the tent, and a model of Castle WolfPack rose from the sand, the dirt shaping itself like a sandcastle being demolished in reverse. "The bulk of our forces will distract Jinnar with a frontal assault. Meanwhile, a small strike force will penetrate the outer defenses through Her Majesty's emergency tunnels. Once inside, the team will neutralize Jinnar and any remaining resistance and protect Lady Metallium long enough to make her case to Her Majesty."

"You gotta be shitting me," Birdy mumbled.

"General Beetsk has volunteered to lead the frontal assault," Filia announced, gesturing to the insectile Mazoku.

"Yeah, good luck, buddy!" Birdy called out. "Ganbatte!" she cried with a wave. She turned to Will as she waved and murmured to him. "They're all going to fucking die....."

"The strike team will be charged with escorting Lady Metallium and I, however, we may be unable to assist with hunting Jinnar down if we encounter Her Majesty first," Callisto explained. "So we have chosen someone Jinnar is unfamiliar with to lead it."

"I wonder who was stupid enough to volunteer for that," Will asked Birdy.

"General Mira," Filia questioned. "Is your team prepared?"

Birdy and Will turned to the back of the room where the one-eyed Black Dragon was standing. "Taloon and I have chosen Mazoku with the necessary talents, Lady Metallium," she said with a bow.

"I don't believe it!" Birdy whispered to Will. "She's bought into this!"

"We'll strike just before dusk," Filia announced.

AAAAA

Lina awoke to the sound of clip-clopping hooves and the bouncing of a cart with bad wheels. Blinking, she tried to move and found her hands tied behind her back and her ankles tied together. Looking up, she saw the back of a man's head, the cart's driver.

Looking the other way, she saw Naga's face, drooling on her leg. She kicked out with her bound legs. "Hey! Hey, wake up!"

Naga snorted and blinked. "Huh? What time is it?"

The man looked over his shoulder at them. "Well, well," he said. "Looks like our sleeping beauties are awake. Don't make any trouble now." He leered at Naga's chest before turning back to driving the cart.

Lina pushed her way onto her butt and looked over the cart's side. Several berserkers in red tunics were walking alongside them, and another man, a knight in black armor, rode a black horse just to the rear.

"This all you brought?" Lina asked the man sarcastically.

"Didn't need this many to catch the two of you, Love," the man oozed.

"Yeah, I guess you were too manly for us," Lina bit out sarcastically. "Knocking us out and tying us up and all."

"You haven't seen manly yet, Love," the man snickered. "We have a long way to go yet."

Lina's skin crawled. She looked over to Naga and found a mask of disgust lying over her features. She was about to crack another insult, but stopped as a cold, gray mist began to rise from the ground.

"Are we near a river or something?" Naga asked.

"Hey, asshole!" Lina called to the man. "What's Scarrin up to, anyway? Why's he so hot for us?"

"It's not Scarrin, Love," the man replied.

"Who then? What's the deal?" Naga asked.

The man stopped the cart and turned to them. "Well, since you're both going to die, I might as well tell you. His name is GURK!"

The "gurk" wasn't caused by a hairball or a piece of phlegm. The man looked down and found the fletch of an arrow protruding from his lips. A second later, two more arrows shot through his eyes, and the greasy man fell off the cart.

"The hell?!" Naga asked.

The redhead looked over the side of the cart and saw two figures rush out of the mist, swinging swords through the nearest berserkers. She gasped as one of the figures coalesced into.....

"Gourry!"

Before he could answer, the berserkers behind them came under attack as another sword flashed between them, a short woman leapt from a tree, and a pair of women on a white horse stormed through the crowd.

The knight reared his horse and turned to the sword. Vanya Greysword stopped before him. He raised his visor and addressed her.

"Stevanya Greysword," he rumbled. "I have heard of your skill, but warn you not to expect a cheap kill from me!" He drew his broadsword and continued his speech. "I, Aravan of Aravack, am the greatest swordsma....."

Vanya leapt forward and somersaulted over the knight's head. A quick flash of steel in midair was the only hint of any kind of attack. She landed nimbly on her feet and sheathed her katana. Behind her, the top left corner of Aravan's helmet fell to the ground, a good piece of skull and brain with it. A second later, the armored knight fell from his horse with a crash.

The kunoichi sneered. "Did NOT know who he was fucking with," she announced.

"That's the last of them, I think," Jeffrey announced, sheathing Razor Blade. Sylphiel and Adara hopped down from Arod, and the group made their way to the cart. They looked down at the two sorceresses with annoyed looks.

"Hi, guys!" Naga greeted them. She rolled onto her side and showed them her bound hands. "Little help?"

"Dammit! Dammit! Dammit!" Lina swore as Gourry cut her bonds. She stared at Adara accusingly. "You couldn't have waited three more seconds?! He was about to do that evil villain thing where they explain the evil plan to the imprisoned heroes!"

"Do you want me to try to resurrect him?" Sylphiel asked helpfully.

"Hell no!" Naga shouted. "Get me out of this!"

Jeffrey cut her hands free, and she rubbed them to get the circulation going again. Looking around, she inquired, "Where's Lina chan?"

"They took her," Jeffrey announced deadpan.

"Now what?" Amelia asked.

"Well, first of all, new rule!" Sylphiel proclaimed. "No one...." She stared at Lina, Naga and Vanya, "Goes off on their own."

Gourry nodded. "We need to take these guys together."

Lina sighed and gave Gourry a quick nod. "Okay. We all go together, but we still need a plan."

Vanya walked up to Gourry, Aravan's helmet in her hands. "I think I might have one," she said before reaching up and placing the closed helmet over the swordsman's head.

AAAA

Birdy caught up with Mira after the meeting broke up. The Black Dragon was speaking with Taloon when Birdy caught her elbow and whirled her around. Mira's one eye looked down at her in surprise.

"Just what the hell do you think you're doing?" Birdy hissed quietly, not eager to draw more Mazoku attention to them.

"I'm fighting," Mira told her quietly.

"For THEM?!"

"Is there anyone else at the moment?" she replied.

"They're MAZOKU!" Birdy whispered.

"They're all we got," Mira hissed back. "We don't have a choice now but to ride this out. Filia's got a plan, and that's better than the alternative." She started to turn back to Taloon, but Birdy caught her arm again.

"According to HER!" she hissed, pointing in Filia's direction. "If you ask me, she's lost it! We should just get out while we still can!"

"What makes you think we can?!" Mira shot back. "Look around you! Whether you like it or not, we are a part of this now! Now it's time for each of us to make a choice! We can either fight or sit around, bitching and moaning and waiting to die!"

Birdy said nothing.

"You were the one who was so gung-ho to fight," Mira hissed at her. "You see the world just like I did when I was your age; black and white, right and wrong. Well you're going to have to wake up! Sometimes there IS no right and wrong! Sometimes you just have to choose a path and stick with it!"

"You're cracked," Birdy announced.

"No," Mira corrected. "I'm surviving. Filia's kept us alive here. She's all we got." With that, she turned on her heel and walked out, Taloon following after.

AAAAA

Amara squeaked and fell backwards as the rose bush suddenly snapped at her. The petals on the flower flared out like the head of a cobra as it reared up over her. It hissed at the dragon and made ready to strike.

A quick squirt from a spray bottle forced the plant to flinch away. Xelas gave the plant another squirt. "Bad! Bad evil rose plant thing! Bad!"

The rose plant skulked away, and Amara rose to her feet and curtsied. "Thank you, Your Majesty. Perhaps.... Perhaps I should leave you to your gardening now."

"Nonsense," Xelas replied, tossing the woman a small shovel. "I need you to shovel fertilizer. Now hop to it, baby."

Amara picked the shovel up and located the bag of rancid fertilizer.

"Besides," Xelas went on. "Why be in such a hurry to leave? We have plenty of time left."

"Time, Your Majesty?" Amara asked.

"Of course!" She paused for a moment and removed her gardening gloves. "Rebellions don't resolve themselves overnight, you know."

"Rebellion?!"

Xelas looked at her with an annoyed scowl. "You remind me of a parrot I once ate," she bit out.

Amara blushed and shut her mouth.

"Good," Xelas remarked. "Someone taught you to shut up once upon a time. A handy skill." She donned her gloves again and resumed working. "And yes, rebellion. Jinnar will either crush it or be crushed by it. I can't say I care either way after the way he's behaved." She sighed. "I know you won't tell anyone, so I can say aloud that I actually miss Xellos." She shook her head regretfully. "That Mazoku knew how to crush an uprising with style!"

"So," Amara began tentatively. "You're just going to sit here while your own Mazoku fight?"

Xelas resumed digging. "Yup! I like to think of it as 'weeding out the non-hackers.' The strongest of them will survive, the weakest will die and the youngest will emerge with new experience, and that's something I can't give them any other way." She winked at Amara. "I don't mind telling you that. I know you won't tell anyone."

"Thank you, Your Majesty," the dragon replied. "But, if I may?" She waited for Xelas to nod in approval before continuing. "You keep saying you know I won't tell anyone. Why do you say that?"

Xelas smiled and wagged her tail. "Because," she said conspiratorially. "If you think I'm going to let a Golden Dragon just WALK out of here alive, you're sadly mistaken."

Author's Notes:

I know. I've been bad, but I intend to finish this fic one way or another. I'm going to hit it hard in the next few weeks. In the meantime, I'm going to make use of 's review feature and answer some comments from the last chapter.

To Banx:

Sorry for not updating in so long, but there was a lot going on in my life and I've finally reached a point where I think it's under control. I'll try to update more promptly in the future.

To :

Go to and click the link for the old archive. Once there, go to the Regular Fics section and look under "D" until you find it.

To relena55:

Thanks! I shall.

To Dust'in:

Will do.

To masaki1:

Thanks! As for the change, it was something planned from the beginning. As the story approached its climax I wanted to merge the two storylines to help quicken the pace.

To Chibi-Kaz:

Yep, back safe and sound. I didn't go to Iraq or the 'Stan, though, so I wasn't worried. It was a good time, though. I hope your other deployed friends get back safe.

To kyokki:

Hope springs eternal.