Disclaimer: As should be fairly obvious from the previous chapters and the fact that this is a second to third-rate piece of writing instead of a multimillion dollar anime series, I own only the characters that came out of my screwy mind.
Chapter 5: Someone to Live For
Xellos looked completely different from what he used to. His priest's robes had changed to an ordinary black cloak over a deep purple traveling outfit, all with the same Greek motifs embroidered around the edges. Above the cuff of each sleeve was a large bracelet each with a single large gem embedded in it, purple on the right and gold on the left. His hair was a few shades darker, and his eyes looked more like an eagle's. Oh, and he also had a set of black feathered wings now protruding from his back.
"What is this?" mocked Zanthador. "The bane of all dragons takes the form of one before he dies? And not just any dragon, but a Black dragon, the weakest of them all?" and he started laughing, in all of his giant bird demon glory.
Xellos just looked up at the other monster and smiled. It was a typical Xellos smile, but his eyes were filled with rage.
"A Black dragon? I don't think so. They are too young. I'm a bit more… well ancient is the word that springs to mind when I think about it."
"No way!" exclaimed everybody on the ground except the people from other worlds and Gourry.
"What is he talking about?" asked Quistis and Ginji.
"If what Xellos is saying is true, and I have never heard him tell a lie, then he is at least part Ancient dragon, like Val over there," explained Lina. "And if Xellos can merge the powers of the strongest dragons ever known to exist with his already considerable Monster powers, he could do just about anything."
"So you think that matters? I'll still crush you!" screamed Zanthador before firing a huge beam of black energy from his mouth directly at Xellos. He didn't even try to dodge, and the beam completely engulfed him before heading at the group on the ground. Everyone except Ginji, Shido, Ban, Val, and Filia dove out of the way, but the five that didn't move just stood there with similar knowing smiles on their faces. At the last moment, the beam was interrupted by a golden wall.
"What?" exclaimed Zanthador as the beam dissipated and Xellos nonchalantly floated where he was before the beam hit, bathed in the same color that blocked the beam.
"How did you guys know he wouldn't die?" Lina asked Filia.
" I could still feel Xellos' presence even after the beam hit him, so I knew he wasn't dead," replied the dragon. "I can't mistake that feel; after all, he sits in my shop every day and has tea with me."
"What!? You have tea every day with XELLOS of all people!?" apparently the thought of Filia and Xellos having civil conversations every day freaked Lina out more than the monster that almost blew them up.
"Before I kill you, I guess I have to thank you," said Xellos. "If you hadn't tried to kill us, I probably wouldn't have noticed that I still have a reason or two left to use this form that I tainted for revenge all those years ago," he began to charge up a violet sphere of energy in his right hand. "My atonement begins now," Xellos thrust his right hand toward Zanthador and it became an incredibly powerful beam that ripped through the other Monster like a knife through butter. Zanthador reverted back to the form he first appeared to the group as, and fell to the ground in front of Filia. He then began to whisper to her.
"You people are in grave danger," he gasped out. "You need more power than just a half-breed as strong as Xellos. Go to Her temple; Xellos knows the way. Don't wait here too long or Dynast will know something is wrong and may come himself. Believe me, you don't want that to happen.
Xellos had teleported over as soon as he heard Zanthador begin to speak. "Why are you telling us this? Don't you want us to get caught by Dynast?"
"To take a quote from the strongest Monster I have ever fought against, 'Now that… is a secret," replied Zanthador as he began to lose shape and become pure darkness. "Now go! Xellos, show them the way or you will all die!" and his head became nothingness, followed shortly by the rest of him.
"So where's this 'Her Temple' thingie, anyway?" asked Ginji after a few seconds.
"Now that-" began Xellos before he saw Filia reach for her mace. "Its in the Mountains of Tears, on the tallest one."
"You have got to be kidding me!" yelled Lina. "There is no way there is a temple in the Mountains of Tears!"
"It actually makes sense Lina," said Zelgadis. "Why else would nobody have ever heard of it."
"And besides Miss Lina," Amelia threw in, "you just said Xellos never lied, and it would be very unjust to contradict yourself so soon after saying something like that.
"Unjust? Ill give you unjust!" screamed the redhead, charging up a fireball. Gourry, Filia and Zelgadis got everybody out of harms way, except Xellos, who had reverted back to his normal form and teleported aver to them, landing on Filia's head in the process. While Lina threw fireballs at Amelia and Filia chased Xellos around with a mace, Val and Zelgadis educated the newcomers about certain spells Lina knew, things never to say or do to Filia or Lina if you wanted to have children, and other things of interest if you were in the same dimension as either one. After a few minutes of this, Filia got tired and Lina got bored so Xellos did another group teleport and they were on their way.
A/N: I hope the chapter was to everybody's liking. I tried to make it a bit longer because finals are coming up soon and I might not be able to update for a while. As always, reviews are wonderful as long as you can give a reason for your insults.
