Slayers SEED: Phase 03
by Handsome Puppy
Disclaimer: Slayers belongs to Hajime Kanzaka/Rui Araizumi/Kadokawa Shoten/TV TOKYO/SOFTX/Marubeni. The title of Gundam SEED belongs to Sunrise/Bandai. This story and all the original characters are mine. This story is AU.
"...Milaya ...killed, Caiza-sama."
"...nevermind her... have... Gold Dragon...enough..."
Voices rang in her ears as Filia slowly drifted back to consciousness. Opening her eyes, she saw two figures through a barrier of bars.
"What do we do with the Gold Dragon, Caiza-sama?"
"Just leave her be for now. I'll get the information about the content of the Clair Bible from her."
Filia winced a little as pain shot through her entire body. She couldn't move, but she didn't need to look to know that she was lying in a sticky pool of her own blood.
"Ho, you've awakened." Caiza glanced at the imprisoned dragon casually. "Don't try to move. That'll only quicken your death, since you won't be able to heal yourself in the astral plane."
"As... Astral plane?" Filia gasped through laboured breathing.
"You're in the palace of the great Skymaster Caiza-sama!" Meiron said proudly.
"So, you took in the Clair Bible. Tell me what's in it and I'll let you live." Caiza started. "Otherwise, you'll just slowly die in there. Nobody is coming to save you."
"Exactly" Meiron nodded, and then frowned. "Caiza-sama, Xelloss IS able to travel to the astral plane freely enough..."
"That brat of Zellas' can come all he wants. We'll just make sure he doesn't leave this place. We'll kill him directly in the astral plane." Caiza turned to look at the dragon "Even if the Gold Dragon refuses to answer, she can still be used as bait to lure Xelloss in."
"You lowly Mazoku!" Filia spat. "I am not telling you anything."
"Guess you're too stupid and stubborn to know what's good for you. How typical of Ryuuzoku." Caiza snorted. "No matter, you are serving your second purpose quite well enough."
Filia, alarmed by his words, suddenly glanced at an empty spot just as Xelloss materialized into view. "Xelloss!"
"Ho, I've been expecting you, Xelloss." Caiza smiled menacingly. "The Gold Dragon isn't able to see things clearly. Won't you talk to her about cooperating?"
"Indeed, that's why I came." Xelloss replied with his usual smile. "You see, this Clair Bible is of major importance to Beastmaster-sama, but Filia-san is the only one knowing its content. Certainly I'll have to get it out of her somehow."
"Xelloss... you!" Filia glared at the smiling priest.
"And how do you propose to do that?" Caiza seemed intrigued. Xelloss was too notorious for his double-crossing nature among the Mazoku, so it was almost logical that he would be turning his back on his former ally. Almost.
"First, I will heal her." Xelloss held up a finger. "When dealing with a stubborn dragon, one has to be patient. In her current state, however, she wouldn't last long enough to have the knowledge coaxed out of her."
"Interesting. Why don't you go ahead and do it?" Caiza laughed.
"Caiza-sama!" Meiron panicked slightly. "Will it be safe to allow Xelloss to heal the dragon?"
"He did have a point there. Besides, he can't teleport two people at the same time out of MY palace."
Xelloss bowed slightly for courtesy's sake before disappearing and re-appearing inside the bars where the Gold Dragon lay. He kneeled beside her and inspected the wounds on her wings and body. He could barely sense any emotion from the dragon, which meant that she really was dying.
"Poor Filia-san, let me see your wings." Xelloss reached out to touch her wings gently. Filia was too weak to put up any resistance.
Xelloss cast some healing spells on the wings, and then frowned at the fatal wounds on her sides. He unclasped his cloak and held it up like a screen between himself and the dragon. "Transform into a human, Filia-san. The wounds are too severe in your dragon form. It'll make it easier for me to heal them in your human form."
Filia stared at his profile in disbelief, refusing to act as told.
"What's the matter?" Xelloss asked when he got no response. He then turned to look at the other two Mazoku in the room. "Oh, you two will have to look away or she won't listen to me."
"Why do we have to look away?" Meiron glared at him suspiciously.
"She'll be naked when she transforms into a human, that's why. Wouldn't want you to stare at her in such state, would we?"
Caiza and Meiron snorted but turned away slightly nevertheless. Xelloss turned back to the red-faced Gold Dragon. "There, you can transform now, Filia-san."
"If you try to peek... I'll kill you!" Filia said with gritted teeth and changed into her human form when Xelloss also looked away.
"Done?" Xelloss managed to wrap the girl in his cloak without looking. He turned to her when she was properly covered. Xelloss put his hand on where the wounds were and started the healing process. "This will hurt a bit, but bear with me please."
Filia felt heat emitting from his hand through the cloak, and it was all she could do to remain very still. Her wounds were slowly healing, but she was feeling very uncomfortable inside. Though she was somewhat clothed, she still felt completely naked and vulnerable in her human form. She felt like she was being wrapped by Xelloss himself, and his hand moving gently on her abdomen over the layer of fabric didn't help matters.
'Filia-san... No, don't look up.'
Filia was startled when she heard Xelloss' voice inside her head, but she held her pose and continued to look down. Ryuuzoku had the ability to read other's mind so she quickly understood the situation. Even though she wasn't trained to read minds or communicate mentally, she was capable of perceiving other's thoughts if they were deliberately directed to her at a close range, like what Xelloss was doing now.
'Listen carefully, Filia-san. I won't be able to teleport the two of us out of here, so you'll have to get out on your own.' The voice continued while Xelloss' face betrayed absolutely nothing. 'You took in the Clair Bible, so you should know how critical the information within it is. Start casting the spell that will take you to the Sea of Chaos when you are healed. I'll create some kind of diversion for you. It's the only way you'll be able to get away from here. That spell isn't bonded by any dimension or plane. Once you get to the Sea of Chaos, ask the Lord of Nightmares to teleport you to Wolf Pack Island. I'll meet you there... If you understand everything I said, blink twice.'
Filia blinked twice.
'Good girl. Get ready... Now!' The voice left her mind when Xelloss pulled his hand away and stood up slowly.
"You've healed her. What's step two?" Caiza demanded.
"Step two? To put what she learned from the Clair Bible to good use, of course." Xelloss smiled, sensing Filia's aura rising behind him.
"What do you mean by that?" Meiron asked.
"I mean... This!" Xelloss shot two powerful blasts at Caiza and Meiron without warning.
Caiza was well-prepared and easily repelled the spell. Meiron, on the other hand, was caught off-guard and was engulfed by the flame.
"Hmph! I knew you'd be pulling some tricks. As a result, you shall face the consequences!" A huge Flare sphere crackling with energy formed in Caiza's hand. He suddenly noticed that Filia was surrounded by light and threw the ball of Flare furiously. "Like I'll let you get away!"
"Che! The spell takes longer than I thought!" Xelloss bit his lip and stepped in front of Filia, casting a Flare in an attempt to counter Caiza's attack.
Xelloss may have been a very powerful Mazoku, but he wasn't quite on par with the Mazoku Lord. His own attempt was absorbed by Caiza's, and the combined blast bore down on him in a fury.
"Xelloss!" Filia cried out as she witnessed the blast tear into Xelloss, but there was nothing she could do, for her spell was taking effect, spiriting her away.
Xelloss covered his bleeding wound with a hand and smiled despite the extreme pain. Seeing that Filia had disappeared, he, too, vanished without a trace.
+ - + - + - + - + - +
Filia waited for the light surrounding her to fade away, and then she glanced around carefully. She was in a place which appeared to expand endlessly in all directions. The horizon was very clearly defined, as it was total darkness above, and pure white below.
"This is the Sea of Chaos...?" Filia swallowed, overwhelmed by the infinite vastness of it.
"Yes, this is the Sea of Chaos." A voice suddenly said from behind her. She quickly span around to look at the speaker face to face.
"Lina-san?"
The Lina-look-alike chuckled. "No, I am not Lina Inverse. You probably know me better as the Lord of Nightmares."
"The Lord of Nightmares?" Filia gasped.
"Surely you expected to find me here in the Sea of Chaos?" Lord of Nightmares shrugged. "Of course, this isn't really me, just my conciousness taking the form of the last person who called upon my name and drew power from me."
"I... I see." Filia felt awkward being there, face to face with the most feared and respected figure of all races.
"Would you like something to wear?" The Lord of Nightmares held up a finger and Filia was instantly clothed in a white robe fashioned for Ryuuzoku high priestesses. "I hope I am not mistaken in your identity?"
"No... thank you." Filia blinked in shock as she looked down at the robe.
"So, why are you here, priestess-san?"
"I was held captive in the palace of a certain Mazoku Lord's palace in the astral plane. This was the only way I could get away from there..."
"Hmph! Caiza, wasn't it?" The Lord of Nightmares snorted coldly. "After what happened to Fibrizo, he still hasn't learned his lesson and chooses to disobey me."
"You know about all this?" Filia was amazed.
"I know everything, my child." The Golden Demon Lord of All smiled at her. "This concerns you as well, as you are the brightest Light."
"That again..." Filia looked defeated. "Is that really the only way to defeat Caiza, L-sama?"
"Yes, unfortunately Lina Inverse sealed the Giga Slave so I cannot lend my power to her, and none of the Mazoku Lords have the power to stop Caiza."
"It's just like Xelloss said..." Filia muttered under her breath worriedly.
The Lord of Nightmares studied the girl. "Speaking of which, what are you to Xelloss?"
"Wha-!" The question startled Filia completely, and she was even more shocked to find herself answering, "I... I don't know. I guess we are enemies, but not quite..."
The Lord of Nightmares smiled a little. "The cloak is his, isn't it? I can identify any part of him easily."
"What do you mean?" Filia glanced at the black cloak draped over the white priestess garb she was now wearing.
"Mazoku don't wear clothes in the same sense as the other races do. Any piece of garment you see is part of the body. In other words, that cloak is part of Xelloss." The Lord of Nightmares said. "By giving you the cloak, he is essentially giving part of himself to you. Not something a Mazoku would do lightly, if at all..."
"Na...!" Filia was shocked, to say the least. No wonder the layer of fabric felt so warm, for it was emitting body heat from Xelloss himself. She couldn't help but blush furiously. She WAS indeed wrapped by Xelloss, with NOTHING in between.
"Yet you said that you are enemies. It surely doesn't look that way to me." The Lord of Nightmares continued. "If anything, I'd say that Xelloss has a soft spot for you."
"Stop... Stop saying such things, please! L-sama!" Filia blurted out, her face a crimson red.
"Very well." The Lord of Nightmares dropped the subject. "I suppose that you wish to return to the material plane?"
"Yes. Please take me to Wolf Pack Island, if that's all right with you, L-sama." Filia recalled Xelloss' words, which brought up the image of Xelloss being hit head-on by the large blast. She winced inwardly and, though she wouldn't admit it, was really worried. It was possible to kill even a strong and powerful Mazoku like Xelloss in a direct battle in the astral plane, after all.
"Wolf Pack Island it is. It's been a long time since I last visited that place." The Lord of Nightmares nodded and extended her arms. "Take care of Xelloss, won't you? Filia-san?"
"...I will, L-sama."
Filia was once again surrounded by light and she felt herself floating. Floating and free-falling slowly, she finally touched solid ground under her feet. The light faded to reveal that she was returned to the world she was familiar with, though she couldn't recognize the immediate surroundings.
"Welcome back, Filia-san." The voice of the Mazoku priest sounded from above her. She looked up to see Xelloss perched on a large tree branch.
"Xelloss." Filia smiled a little, relieved at the sight of him. She hopped onto the branch beside the one he was sitting on with one swift jump.
"Well, well, I see L-sama has provided you with some clothing." Xelloss grinned.
"Thank you for the cloak." Filia handed him the folded cloak with a small blush. "You may have your body back."
Xelloss' smile froze in place as a large sweatdrop appeared. "...you know?"
"L-sama explained to me." Filia's face grew crimson and she refused to look Xelloss in the face. It was then that Filia noticed that he had one hand clutched to his abdomen where she had seen the blast tore into earlier. Her expression turned sad. "I am sorry, Xelloss. You got hurt because of me."
Xelloss blinked, totally not expecting Filia to apologize and be sad because of his injuries. He decided to counter with his usual tactic, complete with a wide and idiotic smile. "Ah, that's nothing. My body can re-generate itself quickly enough. It's not everyday I get to see my own blood, so I rather enjoyed the experience quite a bit."
"You bled?" Filia paled at his words. Xelloss had never shown any blood before, not even when a hole was blown into his chest, or when he lost an arm. "It's that serious?"
Xelloss felt like biting his tongue. He didn't want Filia to get worried. Denial was the way to go. "No, of course not, Filia-san. I am the Trickster Priest so nothing can be serious when it comes to me-"
His voice halted abruptly when Filia leaned forward and gently lifted his hand to inspect the wound. He could sense her sorrow and care. No disgust or twisted joy like he had expected. In fact, he hadn't felt any negative emotions from the girl since her return from the Sea of Chaos. Not even the slightest hint of anger, which had become his staple since knowing her. Something most definitely happened during her encounter with the Lord of Nightmares.
"You can't heal the wound yourself?" Filia asked softly, glancing up at him.
"Too bad, but no. Caiza-sama caught me in the astral plane." Xelloss shrugged. "This requires something deeper that will work trans-plane. I don't know anything like that, since we Mazoku don't heal ourselves usually. We rely on regeneration."
Filia placed a hand over the nasty wound and closed her eyes in concentration, comforting warmth accompanied by a faint glow passed from her palm into the wound. It made Xelloss feel a quiver inside. He quickly recognized the spell as one of the Holy spells specialized by Ryuuzoku high priestesses. Filia was focused on casting the spell, so Xelloss took the opportunity to study her features up close. This was the first time the two of them had been this close without fighting or yelling at each other. Xelloss had to struggle with himself not to grab Filia into an embrace.
Moments later, the warmth subsided and the light faded away. Filia breathed a sigh of relief and opened her eyes. She smiled cutely at him. "All done."
She was about to pull her hand back, but Xelloss moved first and took hold of it. The blond girl looked at him in surprise. "What are you doing, Xelloss?"
"Expressing my gratitude, Filia-chan." Xelloss smiled, actually looking sincere with open eyes, and kissed the palm of her hand. Filia's face flushed a deep crimson colour, but she didn't pull away or threaten to kill him. Xelloss grinned to himself at her reaction.
"Well! I never thought you had it in you, Xelloss." A clear voice said from under the tree, breaking the moment and Xelloss' hold on Filia's hand instantly.
to be continued...
Author's Note:
Guess what? I'm still around! And guess what? A cliffhanger! Never thought I'd pull one of these myself. What do you think of the mushy scenes? I don't think it'll get much mushier than this. I like sap, but I don't write them very well. I'm said to be the most unromantic person in the house...
Are you following the story so far? Confused yet with all the different settings from the canon? Please drop me a few lines and let me know what you think! Special thanks to Miss Fi for beta reading the chapter for me:)