DISCLAIMER: I still do not own the Slayers... (n.n)
And now for the exciting conclusion...
Special Thanks To:
Shadow Ice Maiden
Right?! Heh, so much for catching a little R and R! Heh, that's alright, compared to Slayers:Dedicated, that really was a vacation. Thanks for joining in on the fun! (n.-)
Humi
Yea! I'm glad you got it right, and equally glad that I get the opportunity to give Filia a chance to shine as the person I believe she was on her way to becoming. Thank you for your constant readership. (n.n)
Kayla-chan1990
Indeed! When all else fails burn it with fire! And if the poison is just some flowers, then it'll burn all the better! Hee, hope to see you on the next adventure! (n.n)
Elsil
Thanks for the Kudos. (Heh, hope it was a pleasant surprise!) See you later on The Pledge.(n.-)
BallSabre
Hee, VFIN, ha! I get it... (n.n) Heh, gotta love Filia's temper, one of her most charming traits, ne?! Hee! (Hope to see ya around.) (n.-)
fantasia-49
Hee, indeed they are scary sometimes! But you gotta love it. As always, thank you for all your kind words. (n.n)
Tanwen Whitefire
Eh? What town? Nah! Just kidding, I deal with that here. Thanks for reading, hope you dig the end! (n.-)
Chapter Eight
The Truest Intoxication…
"AQUA CREATE!" Lina declared softly, holding up her hand before the steaming crater. The first stream of water merely cooled and Lina sighed calling out once more. "AQUA CREATE!"
"AQUA CREATE!"
"AQUA CREATE!"
"AQUA CREATE!"
"AQUA CREATE!"
"Hey, Lina." Gourry asked carefully, stepping in place warily besides the panting sorceress who still had her hand up for one more go. "Can I ask you a question?"
"That… was… a… question… Gourry…" She panted, arching a brow at him sardonically. "But you can ask another."
"Right!" He nodded, wincing slightly. It hurt to nod, he was still a bit singed from the explosion. "It's just, why are you turning your big dragon slave hole into a lake?"
Lina smiled softly. "So in case those fleeing towns people talk no one will ever have any evidence of what happened here, Gourry."
"Do you think they'll be alright?" Gourry asked worriedly and Lina shrugged.
"Don't see why not." She sighed. "Some part of me was still myself so I imagine the effects will wear off in time now that they have no more way to distribute this crazy poison."
She smiled up at him wanly. "Oh, and I'd apologize for the singeing, but I think that makes us about even for your comment about my figure."
"I like your figure just fine, Lina." He replied with an easy smile of his own. "It was the outfit I wasn't so fond of. I like you, Lina. You know that."
Lina nodded, a tired little smile on her lips. "Yeah Gourry, I know that. It's the why that I still can't quite piece together."
Gourry swallowed, looking out at the calm lake before them. "You really don't know?"
Lina shook her head softly, looking at him helplessly. "No Gourry. I mean look at today! All that happened was that I got a little… erm… tipsy I suppose and ending up hitting on you. Then as a result, I got so mad at myself I blew up a whole town! Why, Gourry! Why have you stayed with me this long! How can you possibly like me just the way I am!"
"Because, Lina." He whispered, grabbing her by the shoulders and turning her towards him. "I don't just like you, I love you. Your flaws, your strengths, you Lina, I can't even begin to put it into words when all the words in my mind just turn into Lina. Cause it's just you, Lina. You're you."
"Oh… Gourry…" Lina whispered, placing a hand to his chest and swallowing hard. "The fact that you see me like that! That you see me like that! That's why…"
She broke off, her ruby gaze swimming deep with in his. "That's why I love you too."
And there, on the edge of what would be forevermore known as Lake Vailis, the midnight stars and quarter moon shinning down on them from the indigo sky, a swordsman finally took his sorceress up into his arms for the second time in their lives.
The third was soon to follow…
O O O
They walked along in silence for a bit, the princess and the chimera. The back of his shirt had been burned mostly off by the flames as he'd whisked Amelia away from Lina's wrath; but now as they walked along hand in hand in this forest of moss, pine, and stone, he didn't even notice.
"Amelia… I." He chuckled, releasing her hand and ran a hand through his wiry hair. "Well, before all this, the reason why I'd showed up at your room tonight was…"
He swallowed, pulling the parcel out from the front of his cloak and held it out to her. "I bought you this."
"You brought me a present, Mr. Zelgadiss?" Amelia asked softly, her face alight in childish glow as she held his gaze before gently taking it from him.
No, not childish, he'd always thought that's what that look had been but now he knew better.
That was the look of pure love.
That was a look reserved only for him, and the small swallow it always invoked was reserved especially for her.
It had finally sunk in. Only Amelia could soften his stone heart.
Only Amelia could remind him at all times that he had one.
"Oh!" She gasped, in awe holding up the tiny figurine. "It's beautiful! But it's…"
Her eyes met his in a breathtaking display of overwhelming joy.
"It's you." He confirmed, with a soft smirk. "As a Fairy Princess. I brought in a sketch of you as such and had then had them make it up."
"This is how you see me, Mr. Zelgadiss?" She asked, her eyes holding his in a bliss that he couldn't find the will to tear himself away from.
"Not even close, you're much too alive Amelia, to be captured in glass." He whispered softly, unable to stop himself from reaching out and slipping a stone hand under her chin. "But it's the best I could do to capture the way you make me feel."
Amelia smiled softly, a small tear of happiness leaking its way from her sapphire orbs. "Oh Mr. Zelgadiss. If I can make you feel like that, then that makes me feel… oh I can't even begin to fathom this feeling in my heart!"
She gasped, her words cut off as his lips met hers, hesitantly at first. Still, despite all this he still worried somehow that she hadn't really thought this through. That she hadn't really considered him for him, and this was all just a fantasy to her.
But then she kissed him back, and he realized just how silly a thing that was to think.
This was love, it was nothing if it wasn't a fantasy. It was simply one that was also true.
He supposed Amelia would say it was exactly that.
True love.
O O O
Up above in the tree boughs the fairies he'd unwittingly liberated lounged atop the leaves, their hands cupped under their chins and their knees bent so that their feet swished slowly through the air behind them.
True love, isn't it beautiful… One declared happily to another with a few swishes of his wings.
Aye. That it be... The elder agreed with a nod of his head and swish of his own wings. For such a strange looking fellow to snag that great beauty's heart, what else in all the world dare it be…
True love… Another sighed, swishing her wings blissfully. Such great power in such a thing…
Aye. That's why it be so rare… The elder agreed sagely.
Heh… The first smirked, standing up and stretching out as they prepared to take off. Should we tell him that since we're fairies we could turn her true love for him into a magic spell that would be a cure for his freaky looking skin rash!
Nah… The elder replied, leading the others high up into the starry night sky. I think she sorta likes him this way…
Besides…
Where would be the fun in that…
O O O
"So then." Xelloss stated amiably, phasing in beside the flying dragoness and cracking a knowing eye. "Are you just going to fly all the way back home!"
"Yes." She replied, trying desperately to look straight ahead. "And then I'm never going to take another vacation ever again!"
"Well that's just silly!" He chided, arching a finger with a grin. "Why not just let me take you home instead!"
"Because it's you I want most to avoid!" She twitched, beating her wings faster and trying to gain speed even though he could match any pace she set with ease. "But you know that, don't you?!"
"Of course I do!" He replied with a smug smirk. "And you must know that I'm just going to follow you all the way back anyway!"
"Ugh! Why!" She muttered, trying desperately keep from letting the tears of embarrassment and frustration threatening to well up in her eyes fall free. "Why could you possibly want to do that!"
"For the tea of course!" He replied amiably, cracking and eye and arching a finger. "And…"
"If you say the words scones, Xelloss so help me I!" She glowered, breaking off sullenly as it occurred to her there was nothing she could seriously threaten him with.
She hated that! Hated that he was so impervious and meanwhile she could fall pray to a little tainted water!
It just wasn't fair!
But that wasn't what really did you in, now was it? Her mind asked treacherously and she sighed, crying out and tossing all of her rage, all of her weakness, and all of her embarrassment into her golden transformation.
Calmly, her feet touched the ground and she met his gaze as he phased in calmly beside her.
"Fine, Xelloss." She whispered softly, wiping a single traitorous tear from her cheek. "Take me home. I'll make Chamomile."
She expected some taunt, so irritating jibe, or even a smug smirk but he gave her none of those things.
Instead, he calmly stepped forward, wrapped his arms around her and phased her away to her living room.
Jilas had left Val's egg by a roaring fire where it could be warm and Xelloss set her down, taking a seat in one of her over-sized, over-comfortable plush chairs.
He watched her kneel down and kiss the egg gently, watched her look back at him with that half-suspicious, half-awed look she always gave him whenever he did anything nice and sighed, sinking back into the chair.
"You really want to know, why, Filia?" He asked softly, his eyes falling open as he stared into her. "The why to all of this?"
Filia swallowed standing up slowly and giving a little nod.
He smirked, gripping each armrest calmly. "Then come over here, and if you can tolerate sitting on my lap. I'll share the secret with you."
"Nothing's ever free with you, is it Xelloss." Filia whispered, a smile threatening to tug on her lips.
"Only pain." He replied calmly. "But you knew that."
"Take whatever you can, from whomever you can." She stated softly, making her way across the room slowly. "And never do any service for free."
"Save any done for the one I was created for." He replied calmly. "And yet still, you knew that."
"Yes." She replied softly, swallowing gently before letting him pull her onto his lap. "I knew that."
She felt his arms wrap around her, holding her to him as she tilted her head back to meet his seemingly emotionless gaze. "Now tell me something I don't know. Tell me why you come here. Tell me why you persist to follow and harass me. Tell me why you…"
Her cheeks flushed, as she recalled his words and his actions in the previous hours of the night. Her hand went to her throat and confirmed that yes, she was still wearing that stolen amulet.
She'd return it, but now there was nowhere to return it too…
"Because, Filia." He murmured slowly, a wan smirk on his lips as he tilted his head to appraise her. "You fascinate me. Everything you do. I liked having you pressed up against me practically begging me for more. I like watching you make tea in the mornings. I'd like to find a way to combine the two actually…"
SLAP!
Filia swallowed softly, her eyes wide as her still raised hand hung in the air between them. Xelloss blinked, his smirk darkening as he pulled her closer, snaking a hand into her hair and pulling her face close to his. "And I love that."
Filia gasped as in a single breathtaking instant his lips closed the space between them. It was as though there had never even been space between them or knowing Xelloss, he had been beyond the space between them all along.
She moaned giving into him, her hands pressed up against his chest clutching at his robes as his hands worked delicate but knowing magic across her back and the back of her head.
Finally she had to breathe and she pushed away panting for air.
"L…love?" She echoed helplessly.
"Love." He confirmed simply.
"Good." She replied crisply. "Then this is for the scones."
SLAP!
...FIN...
And so another story ends, but there are still more.
But alas, that was indeed the last of the scones, but perhaps not the fairies. (n.n)
Thank you for reading, and thank you for reviewing! See you guys next time!
- Nicci