Prove To Me
Chapter 2
Proving
Honestly it was almost too much for Lina Inverse the Sorcery Genius to keep everything back like this, she was usually not usually she was always passionate in everything she did, everything she said, everything really, mostly her anger because that was where her black magic got its power from.
And after five hundred years knowing that her only real, true friends in this world were dead, save Zelgadis since he was a Chimera and all. When they met in that tavern place they knew by the words and hints the other gave it was very good for the world that they had met, then not later.
They were both at their limit, the Lord of Nightmares help them all if Lina truly snapped, neither of them they both knew could stop her if something like that happened and weren't one hundred percent sure with all that happened in the past all they had been through together and then what had happened back in the cavern if Xellos could kill her.
Yes, Xellos was a Mazoku but there were times Lina sensed something, but as soon as she thought about it, wondered about it the feeling disappeared as if he knew she sensed it and really, really didn't want her to know what it was.
So she just dismissed it but they had always been worried that even though Xellos was a little bit a friend of theirs, what if he got an order to kill Lina? Now they weren't so sure, Lina of course knew that he would not be willing to fight her because there was a chance, a little one at that, but still a chance that he could be the one that died.
But somehow after their meeting yesterday Lina felt that weird feeling again, she sensed it was coming from Xellos again. She knew her woman's intuition said he wouldn't kill her and if he fulfilled his end of their deal he couldn't. But as she thought that it just brought up more questions, she just ignored them and cleared her mind. One thing she did know was that everything changed between her and Xellos when he agreed to her price. She slept thinking of Xellos and his request and of course the change between them both.
PP
Xellos sat in a tree as the moon was in the middle of the sky and then started thinking to himself, which most of the time for most people wasn't a good thing like Gourry…that was never a good think for him to think the last time Xellos remembered him thinking was when he thought about his age…he called him a really, really old man. Xellos of course tried to get his mind of that and succeed, as he started to think about himself.
He was always the one who tricked people, outsmarted them, but this time he was out-maneuvered, outsmarted and well everything basically. Except being tricked, that was one thing he knew deep in his heart, that was if a Mazoku had a heart, was true, she, the infamous Lina Inverse doesn't trick people, well maybe sometimes but it is for stupid reasons not serious ones. She fights for what she believes in, and who she cares about. Anymore who messed with her friend's messed with her and she always protected her friends as well as herself.
Xellos really respected her, not because all the power she held, the power she welded, but her heart, her character, her attitude, her passion which seem to feed him a lot. She was always a challenge, he found that his long life was finally interesting since he met her, she was so unpredictable, she was like a…flame burning so bright, he always wondered who was she was going to burn next,
He laughed, sometimes he wanted to be the one that was burned it was fun, but now was not the time. He had to prove it to her, prove to her what exactly? He concentrated and tried to remember how she looked at him when she named her price, and tried to remember the price itself she named.
FLASHBACK
Lina looked him dead in his amethyst eyes and said with a clear even voice, "Before I put a stop to this war I want you to prove to me this isn't a trick of yours, Trickster Priest. Prove to me I'm not just a pawn for you to use to defeat your enemies and then toss away when I am no longer useful. Prove to me that this little request of yours isn't some way to use me to kill your enemies then take me out of the picture for being a potential threat to the Mazoku race. I may have said before that I was okay with dieing dying but that doesn't mean I want to. Prove to me this Xellos and I will put a stop to this bloody war for you, if you can't then I will continue with what I have been doing for centuries since we defeated Darkstar together and…prove to me Xellos," she said the last part quietly her eyes moved away from him, "prove to me I am not a toy to you." Zel didn't hear it, hell Xellos barely did.
END OF FLASHBACK
He smiled, his little flamed haired sorceress turned the tables on him, and it seemed the toy was fighting back. He stopped his thinking from going any further; did he think what he just thought he thought? Did he really think she was his? What stupid un-Mazoku like thinking, she was a toy…wasn't she?
As he asked himself that he knew something had changed. She wasn't a toy, had she ever been? She wasn't like all of the other humans, countless names, forgetful faces and lives that he had toyed with through the centuries.
What had happened to him? He always toyed with humans, manipulated them, confused them, and tricked them. He did whatever he wanted, whatever he pleased with them, to them. They were his playthings, he was a Mazoku who tricked and toyed with humans. Like they were his…puppets, yeah and he was their puppet master.
But Lina…Lina was always different; she was a human chosen by Her, the Lord of Nightmares herself, the source of all chaos who created this world. She was special, her sister was even important too, but not as important or special as Lina was. Her sister was the Knight of Ceiphied. Ceiphied the Dragon Lord, the one all the Gods worshipped and look to for guidance, and Ceiphied was the supreme God of their world.
Why was it every time he turned around he was looking at her? What was it that drew him to her? Was it her hair? Was it her fierily personality that matched her hair? He knew he didn't care about her body. Mazoku didn't really care for that sort of thing, but he knew because he had watched her for those two years that they traveled together, he watched people make fun of her because of her small body, and he also remembered that she kicked their asses to kingdom come too because of it. There was that one time when she sang in that cute little outfit, she Dragon Slaved that place twice.
He sighed, this is what had changed, he a powerful Mazoku General to Beast Master Zelas. Xellos, who could have been a Lord, but didn't really want to, was being changed by a mere human who could never be his toy. Something he just realized he never wanted in the first place. He respected her too damn much for that, his special little Lina, his little flame.
That was when he truly realized what had happened. These words that broke the little resistance he had left. Over the years since they had first met, she had slowly taking that dark cloud that was somewhere deep inside of him away, take it apart piece by piece. She had broken down all of his barriers, this was the last one, those words that she spoke, ending with 'prove to me that I'm not a toy to you' and that sad feeling inside of her it was like she used a dragon slave on his barriers., They were dust now, that was all that was left of them. He now realized that either he was falling in love with Lina Inverse or he was irrevocably in love with her.
So now how was he going to prove this to her? How was he going to prove to her that he wasn't using her or going to kill her or let her die? Or that she was a toy to him for him to enjoy as he pleased? He smiled; he had his work cut out, he knew this would be fun seeing how he would work with or around his love for her. Or would he just tell her or take the hard route and not tell her how he truly felt about her?
The being, or person if you could call the being that, it laughed and said, "It's about damn time they started thinking and dreaming about the other like this. Only Lina is left, heehee, my little Xellos already figured some of it out by himself, he realized it too…but still there is Lina, will she realize it too before it's too late?"
PP
Lina woke up and rubbed her head before she sat up. She had this weird dream about her and Xellos. She couldn't really remember much of it, but she knew that they had been close in it and at the end she heard a laugh and a voice saying something, god she couldn't remember something about Xellos realizing something and would she, Lina realize it too before it was too late.
Her entire being, who she was, was a curious innocent little girl, it made her want, no made her need to know. Something in the core of her soul cried out to know. It was her woman's intuition not anything else she told herself but somewhere deep inside behind some locked doors she knew it wasn't that, wasn't her woman's intuition, but something much, much more.
She was done with her thinking and going over last night's dream, so she was ready to get up. That was just what she did, but still was wondering, still curious about what she had to realize before it was too late.
She got dressed and ready in record time too, but was still beaten to breakfast by Zel. She had forgotten about him, she had to remember stuff about him. He used to always be the first one up in the group. She sighed she was going to get a lecture from him she just knew it, but she was in for a surprise, it was just the opposite, he was okay with it, he was okay with her for making a deal with a Mazoku, not just any Mazoku, but Xellos.
"Damn Zel what the hell happened to you since I left?"
"What the hell happened to you since I left?" he countered a grin on his face, they both smiled, it was good to be back together they stared at each other down till Lina gave up and told him, which it seemed was another surprising twist.
"I grew up Zel what more do you want? I guess instead of being a little girl who was a little bit of a realist turned into a damn, pessimist." She muttered under her breathe but forgot Zel could still hear, "Like Xellos and Zel apparently."
Zel busted out laughing, Lina froze for a second but laughed das well, as they sat there laughing they could almost forget these past five hundred years, and Lina could almost forget about that dream. They both could almost forget about the past few days, but sadly it was only that they almost could forget, not really truly forget.
Xellos chose that moment to enter and sit down at their table, their laughter stopped and they got all serious, Xellos, Lina and Zel started thinking about the upcoming war.
Xellos mainly thinking why did she accept his request to help his race during the war? It confused him, before she wanted nothing to do with his race and only helped him when she had no other choice but to help him. But this time she truly had a choice whether to help his race survive and she choose to help him.
He knew both him and Zel for once agreed on something, they both respected her and her choices but that didn't meant hey couldn't be confused and ask, it wasn't like they were Gourry and asking Gourry like questions, which were the stupid kind just after Lina explained it all.
"Lina-san, why, not that I am ungrateful or anything far from it, but the Lina-san I once knew wouldn't have wanted to get involved."
Lina sighed and explained, "Like I just told Zel I guess I grew up and realized some stuff, a lot of stuff actually. I was a little girl then, not really knowing everything yet being so close, no not close on top of it all. Without my friends by my side I finally learned about the world and got what my sister tried so desperately to teach to me so many years ago. So I now became a realist with a pessimist side. I grew up Xellos it is just that simple."
Xellos could see it, but Zel couldn't feel her emotions so he didn't get anything extra, Xellos could feel her emotions and could tell she was so tried. He could see at one point during all these years she thought about killing herself, the Lina before didn't understand much but would never want to or think about taking her own life. But this one, this Lina was world smart. It made what most would call a heart, if he had one, it made it feel sad and guilty that he could have done something to prevent it but he realized something else, her suffering had made her stronger unless of course accepting his request was a way to get herself killed, but…he was unsure after she had told him her price, he had to ask her.
"Lina-san is this way to get yourself killed somehow, is that what you are trying to do? Was what happened these last five hundred years too much for you?"
Zel laughed, "You can't be serious Xellos, Lina would never…tell him Lina." The look on her face told them both everything, but she raised her hand and corrected them.
"I won't lie, I did think about it, but if I did tell me something, the price I named would be some totally ridiculous, useless price for Xellos to pay, the price would be useless. Because that is what it would have been if I had wanted to enter the war just to get myself killed, but when Xellos agreed that thought left my mind. When I named that price there was a little bit of that in my head, but I wouldn't have named it if that was the case. If I had wanted to enter that war just to die I wouldn't have named a price like that, I would have entered it for free. By the way Xellos did you hear a voice last night?"
Xellos froze, and he dropped his mask for a few seconds, but it was enough, he looked at Lina with both of his eyes opened and he looked somewhat surprised.
Zel had no idea what was going on, but he was sure as hell jealous. If there was a voice last night he would have heard it, because sometimes being a Chimera was good, because you could hear stuff like that, and Lina knew it too. So why didn't she ask Xellos and not him? He was way jealous now. He was going to say something to but if he learned anything in his long life it was listening that got you more answers then let's say talking and letting people know you are really listening. Sadly he couldn't help himself, his jealousy was taking over and he just had to ask, for his pride and for his love.
"Lina what voice are you talking about? There was no voice last night; if there was don't you think that I would have heard it? I didn't hear anything, there wasn't someone out there."
Like he feared Lina's face went blank and he knew she was thinking of a way out of it now, Zel cursed inside his mind, he had let jealousy take over and it ruined it damnit all. Xellos chose that moment to save her, "Now, Now Lina-san don't tell me that your hearing voices now? Tsk tsk Lina-san next will you start talking to yourself or are you already talking doing it, are you already talking to yourself?"
Lina of course caught on and relief swept through her, Xellos was glad for once for his love of teasing people, and his ability to read people's emotions.
"Well, well damnit Xellos, why did you have to ruin my fun?" she sighed dramatically just to play her part and so did Zel, he sighed too, but not like Lina did it, he didn't really wanted them knowing he did it. Zel was glad for that, that situation was over he just wanted to make up for it but telling her he would get their supplies. He hated leaving them alone but something told him to. Thankfully it wasn't the part of him that was doing the jealous stuff.
A few minutes after Zel left Lina did too, she left the tavern were they all ate, well not Xellos. Xellos of course followed, they both had questions for the other, so when they were completely alone Lina started the million questions, answer and ask show.
"What was that suicide question for? What did it prove or explain to you?"
Xellos sighed and said, "Honestly you want to know?"
"Yes of course you ass I want to know, if I didn't do you think I would have asked?"
"If you said yes I would have left and forgot I asked you to help me. Why? Because no matter what has happened to you or whatever I don't' want you to die. I won't let you die, not if I can stop it."
She thought about it, "Is this how you were going to prove to me, with this test question?"
Xellos walked to a tree and sat down, Lina sat down on the tree across from his. "No Lina-san that had nothing to do with it. I can't…no I won't let you die. I wasted all these years, I am still mad at myself for that do you think I will waste anymore time, I think not."
Lina knew that the last part he said she wasn't really supposed to hear so out of respect for him she didn't question it. Instead she asked the same one she said before after Lina had finished eating and this time Zel wouldn't interrupt and she would get an answer.
"So Xellos did you hear a voice last night? I can't tell if I actually heard it or I dreamed it, I did have a weird dream you know."
Again Xellos froze but looked at her; she noticed that his eyes had stayed open ever since she had asked him the first time. He replied to her, looking into her eyes, "I heard the voice and had a dream as well. If I am correct it was the same voice that made us share a dream. This dream wouldn't have just been between us would it?"
As Lina contemplated all of what he said and compared information with what she already knew she finally nodded. He did as well, but she had to ask what she had really meant to ask from the start.
"What I meant, was what did the voice say? I only heard the last part, when it ended. There was more to it wasn't there?"
Xellos had decided for once to be honest with someone and tell them almost everything, even though he wasn't all too sure about her reaction to it.
'The voice was a female, I know you want to know all about her Lina-san even without you asking and no I can't read minds…well not that very well. All I can say is we both know her, and will probably end of doing what she wants sooner or later, sigh she must have seen something again."
Lina understood what he was saying and egged him on to tell her what she wanted to know, the words. He chuckled and held his hands up in defeat and surrendered, Lina smiled just as he knew she would.
Xellos told Lina that she had laughed then said it. "She said and I quote Lina-san,'it's about damn time they started thinking and dreaming about the other like this. Only Lina is left, heehee, my little Xellos already figured some of it out by himself, he realized it too…but still there is Lina, will she realize it too before it's too late?' That was what she said Lina-san."
Lina's only question was what did he realize? Of course they were thinking of the each other, didn't she just agree to work with him? So why wouldn't they be thinking of the other as he proved to her all these things she asked him to prove? Lina sighed this was so complicated and knew the only was for it to not be complicated was to figure it all out.
"Xellos, what did it mean, you realize something? What did you realize that I didn't?
She asked him the question and he had been waiting for and had hoped that she wouldn't ask. But he said before to answer truthfully so he would answer her question. Xellos took that last part to mean basically she didn't realize that he loved her, but didn't know that it also meant that she herself hadn't realized that she loved him back; he never thought of that he not realizing that she loved him, if he had the female who said those complicated words wouldn't have had any fun.
Xellos looked at the sky first then the ground. He didn't want to answer, but he knew he needed to; he had one of those feelings that usually had often come to him when he was dealing with that female who gave them the weird dreams.
The said female stomped her foot in frustration, "Don't they get anything? Those words explained everything, matching dreams, dreams where they loved each other. Xellos realizing he loved her, she didn't, would she realize before it was too late? Before something bad happened? Before they had no more time together?" She sighed and watched Xellos tell his little flame more of the truth.
"Lina-san I only realized this last night as I thought about a lot of things, mostly about you," he closed his eyes, "I realized that I have been in love with you for so long. Truthfully, honestly I don't know when it started, humans were always toys to me, but you, no you were different. You have always been that way, always fascinated me. Your unpredictable nature, you fiery passion and personality, your emotions and actions so full of your passion, everything you do is. I just wish I had realized it sooner, realized it before. Five hundred fucking years I lost because I, over a thousand years old was stupid. I love you so much my little flame."
His body moved in to kiss her, but his senses were on alert. He was fast and saw the oncoming attack first, his voice full of fear, "Lina!" as he saw where the attack was heading. He moved in front of her to take the hit.
Lina screamed his name, "XELLOS!" as she saw the attack hit him, everything clicking with her, and she created a barrier around him as she leaned him against the tree she was leaning on while they were talking and asking each other questions.
The attacker came into focus confused at what had happened. Couldn't really believe what he saw a Mazoku protecting a human by moving in front of the attack. "Wow I never thought I would see that, a Mazoku protecting a human by jumping in front of the attack." The person was hidden; Lina couldn't see clearly to get a good attack spell in.
"Show yourself you bastard! Step out and fight me or do you prefer targets that don't know you're going to attack?" Lina going all mother bear on me, Xellos thought, he laughed inside because if he laughed out loud it would hurt. He was hit by a Holy Dragon spell, one of those damn divine white magic ones, shit if he got hit by another one…
The figure looked at Lina and stepped out so they could see who it was, they were both shocked at who it really was. Someone they would have never have suspected. Well Lina wouldn't have suspected, but Xellos might have.
"Lina-san is that you? I can't believe you are still alive! It's been over five hundred years or six since I took you to see the Claire Bible."
Lina smiled, "Milgazia I thought you were so afraid of Xellos, never mind that. Know this if I can't heal Xellos I will come after you, track you down and kill you. Now leave or I will kill you here."
"So Lina-san does this mean you made the pledge of immortality with Xellos? Is that why you are still alive?" he voice sounded disgusted. He never thought she would side with the Mazoku race; he was more disappointed in her then disgusted.
Lina was really mad now, she threw a fireball at Milgazia, it burned him he wasn't expecting it, "You fucker! I will NEVER make one of those pledges. No, if you want to know why I am still alive it is because of the Lord of Nightmares has kept me alive, because she lets me use her power."
With that said Milgazia disappeared he didn't really want anything to do with the Lord of Nightmares or Her, plus against a human he could easily kill the human, or maybe a Mazoku but someone who was chosen by the Lord of Nightmares, hell no he couldn't kill.
PP
Zel was so jealous, really jealous; he was the one who wanted to stay with Lina and talk. He was the one who loved her for crying out loud! But he did what he told her he would do, he got their supplies and when he came back Lina taken her hands away from Xellos and finished healing him. Zel wanted to know what the hell happened, and when Lina told him she left out a few parts. The parts about love, Xellos taking the hit for her to protect her, what Milgazia said at first, but other then that told the other parts of the story.
Lina got up and looked at them both and was really mad when she said, "I can't stand this! I am going to stop this now!"
Lina walked off with her red hair blowing in the wind, it was so bright. Both Zel and Xellos both thought it was fire itself and thought the same thing, damn Lina is so beautiful, but of course Xellos had more to think then that.
As he looked at Lina besides thinking she was beautiful he thought that's my little flame. For he knew Lina was his, now and forever because he knew she loved him. The look in her eyes as he leaned in to kiss her, her leaning in trying to kiss him as well, and her pure rage at him being attacked, he knew she was going to really kill Milgazia no matter what memories they had together, what they had been through. Plus she screamed his name when he fell hurt from protecting her. She was terrified at losing him, just as he was of her. He wasn't going to her die during the war; everyone else could for all he cared, just not his Lina, not his flame.