DISCALIMER: I still do not own The Slayers...

And now, the showdown of Wills...
Special thanks to the following:

raywing: Yes she was. No worries, Amelia's still in there, and next chapter all will be well in Melzel land, I promise...

Rêisi: Hee, you know it.

HieiWannabe: I know, I don't really know how I feel about it, but it definitely wouldn't be dull... Glad you reviewed. (nn)

Story Weaver1: More like a Will really... hint hint... (n-) And come on, he totally hates himself, not his skill or his mind, but his looks and his weakness, which is all I make him hate here. Actually, he comes off as a real jerk in this chapter, but don't worry, everything will be better next chapter, I promise. Still... you're gonna hate what I do to him here... (xX) I hated doing it...

O O O

...The light burns bright, beyond all night...

... For the night is wrought with blood and lust...

...The suffering of the wicked and the joy of the fooled...

... They shall join and be well met...

... But in the end only the wicked shall stand...

... For he is pure...

O O O

...You're evil, Xelloss. Pure and simple...

Chapter Twelve

The Abyss...

"He isn't here." Lina muttered, scowling back down the hall and turning on her heel. "Oh Amelia, you just couldn't tell him no, could you?"

She eyed Gourry bitterly. "Love turns the weak into nothing more than dogs. Amelia's as loyal to Zel, as you are to me my King..."

Gourry flinched at her snide tone but shook it off, following behind her obediently. "What do you want me to do?"

"You?" Lina repeated coldly, not even bothering to look back. "Nothing. I'll handle this. The ruler must always handle a rebellion, or there will only be more. If Zel's my only opposition, I'll just have to take him down a peg, so he's beneath me like the rest of you."

"Everyone's beneath you, aren't they, Lina?" He asked in a soft combination of awe and wistfulness, following her back up the stairs.

"Damn straight." She muttered, picking up her pace. "And they always will be."

O O O

"Out of my way." Zelgadiss ordered Dade. The prince was blocking his path, and the chimera pulled free his sword threateningly. "I won't ask again."

Dade arched a brow coolly, his hand ready to pull free his own sword but he resisted. "The Queen won't like this."

"I don't care what Lina thinks." He hissed, pointing his sword at the prince's throat icily. "In fact, in my opinion, Amelia's the only Queen here, by birth and by measure."

Amelia bit her lip, looking out the door frame. She could hear Xelloss and Filia down the hall. They were only twenty feet away when Dade had tackled the unsuspecting chimera and pulled him into the room.

He was right to do so, Miss Lina wouldn't like this at all.

"See." Dade nodded, noting the princess' expression calmly. "Even Amelia knows it to be true. Lina is the Queen, Gourry the King, Amelia the Princess, and I the Harold."

"You are a Prince now, Master Zelgadiss..." He stated pointedly, wrapping his hand around Zelgadiss blade as he met his gaze. "Is that not enough for you?"

Zelgadiss slid the bade out of his hand with intent, reveling in the prince's hiss and smirking at Amelia's startled cry.

"Obviously not." He replied coolly.

O O O

Xelloss stared openly at her closed eyes, holding her cheek gently enjoying her soft smothered moans and the flush adorning her pure features.

It wasn't enough, though. Not for him.

He wanted to shock her, keep her unbalanced, more than wanting it he needed it.

He needed to feel her squirm beneath him, he wanted to cause her pleasure, reveled in the power to do so, but he needed to satisfy the darkness in himself as well.

He shoved her hard into the wall, and her eyes flashed open in shock before closing once more.

She liked it, the shock, and the fear; of course, if she liked him she'd easily like all he could provide.

There was so much more he could do...

"You are a Prince now, Master Zelgadiss... Is that not enough for you?"

He groaned silently at the interruption, and broke away quickly.

"What is it?" Filia asked nervously as he turned and cast a dark glance; his bangs darkening his face.

"Oh dear." He replied mildly, watching as two familiar figures snuck unseen into the room down the hall. The voices growing louder. "It appears we were about to have an audience, but they suddenly found themselves distracted."

Filia blanched, straightening up and brushing her golden lock behind her ears nervously.

He turned back to her with a tight smile, his eyes sliding closed once more. "Let's go say hello, shall we Filia?"

O O O

Dade glared at him, holding his wounded hand, the blood dripping down his arm making Amelia pale and Zelgadiss grin.

"Gee, Zel." A snide voice cut in icily. "I'm sorry you feel that way."

He turned to find Lina standing there haughtily, her arms crossed in the same patronizing fashion he had used himself, so many times in the past.

"Lina." He acknowledged coolly, turning his sword toward her, and she placed a quick hand on Gourry's arm to stop him from loosing his own sword.

"What was that?" She asked darkly, placing a hand to her ear coldly. "I believe you left out a title there, a well earned one at that."

"Hardly." He snorted darkly, rolling his eyes and the swordsman's eyes flashed. "You're as much a Queen as that lapdog beside you is a king."

Lina smiled coolly, bemused as said lap dog let out a low snarl, his hand acing to pull free his sword. "Is that so? Are we choosing to play dumb then, Zel?"

Amelia bit her lip and called out. "Wait! Miss Lina he doesn't realize! He's only just joined us, the powers going to his head!"

"Oh, I'm more than aware of that, Amelia." Lina replied calmly, never taking her gaze from the furious chimera's. "That's the only reason I have yet to cut him down and make him beg my forgiveness."

"As if you could." Zelgadiss spat and Lina let out a dark amused chuckle.

"You see, Amelia?" She went on, lifting a lazy hand to Zelgadiss. "He's obviously not thinking clearly, imagine what would happen if I Fireball-ed him right now? What with the power of the talismans doubling the Will behind it..."

"Just try it..." He growled, and Lina stared at him coldly, wondering how she was going to cut through the cloud of arrogance polluting his mind.

It's be a shame to have to kill him, Amelia would never truly be the same again.

"Maybe you should have threatened him with a Dragon Slave, eh Lina." A snide voice spoke up, causing the room to turn and blink at the mazoku and ryuzoku pair as they entered the room.

"That would certainly be enough to dissuade me, if I were in his position." He went on easily, reaching into his pack calmly. "Although, since I've arrived maybe you could put your little fight on hold, and we could... discuss this."

Lina smirked darkly, ripping the talisman from Zelgadiss' wrist, the swordsman knocking him out as she did so.

Amelia let out a scream, and ran to his side as he collapsed unconscious to the floor. "Mr. Zelgadiss!"

She knelt at his side, cradling his head as she peered up at Lina in horror. "Miss... Miss Lina... why..."

"Sorry, Amelia." Lina replied calmly, tossing the talisman to Dade, who caught it with his good hand and strapped it to his blood covered wrist expressionlessly. "But Xelloss may actually have something useful to say, and I doubt Zel was really in a 'talking' mood."

"Wise as always, Lina." Xelloss replied coolly, amused and annoyed at this new face of hers.

He would love to keep her this way, but it was obvious that due to Amelia's tampering, she could never be controlled. If only Lina had been the first to connect with the talismans in their true form. She would have made a powerful ally, now she was a dire threat.

How unfortunate…

Lina smirked idly, crossing her arms. "So Xelloss, what's on your mind?"

"Oh, just some nagging thoughts." He replied cheerily, motioning for them to take a seat at one of the tables. The room appeared to be a study of some sort. Tasteful design, a nice place for to sit and talk before battle.

Lina smirked and joined him. "Go on, I'm listening."

"Do you know the tale of the Ruby Gilded Dagger?" Xelloss asked softly, waving Filia and Dade over to join. "It's quite a fascinating tale really."

"I can't say that I do." She replied calmly, a bemused smirk adorning her features as she crossed her arms, Gourry leaned against the bookshelf, glancing from them to the weeping princess and her chimera on the floor.

"Long ago, shortly after the war of the monsters fall actually..." He began, his hands weaving the tale along with his words. "The Lord of Nightmares did something, well rather odd, really..."

He smiled at his audience wanly, tilting his head in bemusement. "The Water Dragon King had sealed a great wizard, Lei Magnus was his name, in a casket of ice, and well, the Lord of Nightmares broke him out."

"What's odd about this..." He continued, holding Lina's knowing gaze. "Was that he had been the vessel inhabited by our Ruby Eyed Lord, Shabrinigdo, during the War of the Monsters fall."

Filia let out a startled gasp and Lina rolled her eyes.

"Common knowledge." She sated boredly. "Get to the point."

Xelloss smirked calmly, giving her a gracious nod. "Well, the point is this, when the Lord of Nightmare's broke him out, she decided she wanted the old Lei Magnus back..."

He looked pointedly at Lina. "Seems like L-sama sort of has a thing for, oh the more Chaotic humans in history."

Something unreadable flashed across the sorceress' gaze and Xelloss grinned, lifting a hand and directed on his tale.

"So she sealed his power into the hallowed shell of ice with a golden dagger..." He explained smoothly. "Its hilt and blade stained crimson to this day..."

He stood with a flourish, dumping the contents of his traveling bag on the table...

Lina and the others leaned in... there were the remaining two talismans, one broken, one whole...

And a ruby gilded dagger...

"You see, Miss Lina!" He concluded grandly, picking up the dagger and examining it gently in the dim light. "The ice that broke off that hallow shell, was permanently stained red as well! The crystallized essence of the Ruby Lord himself. This is the true make up of that oh so rare stone we call… Demons Blood."

He tossed the dagger to Filia, who caught in a combination of awe and revulsion, folding it up in her cloak.

Xelloss grinned darkly, running a hand across the ruby gilded clasp at his throat. "Demons Blood, such a fantastic term for it. Hellmaster Phibrizzo came to my Mistress that year we met, Miss Lina, and forced her to order me to aid him in his plans for you..."

His eyes opened and he peered into her stunned ruby eyes maddeningly. "I hated him for that, and he knew it. So, in order to enlist my best performance, he gave me those talismans. I already had the dagger and the rest, after all that is how I knew the tale, and he knew me well enough to know that I'd value the remainders, a personal treasure."

Xelloss sighed darkly. "Of course, he also said that if you ever took an interest in them Lina, then I was to give them to you, and I must admit, after I had determined what you were capable of..."

He stared calmly into those hallow ruby depths, the memory of her power electrifying even in his mind. "I wanted to..."

"Your blood, has mixed with them..." He muttered accusingly, brandishing the broken talisman for all to see. "And worse, your Will! For that is what they really empower, Miss Lina, your Will! Your blood awoke them, and in turn they have awoken that which has the strongest pull over all of your mortal minds."

Lina smirked softly, ignoring Filia's horrified gasp. "Well, save for that little bit of history there Xelloss, you really didn't tell me anything I didn't already know."

"Oh my, well that is unfortunate." He muttered coolly, arching a brow. "Now then, since you've heard what I know, perhaps you'd be willing to answer a question for me, if you can."

"What's that?" Lina goaded coolly, standing to her feet, snapping pointedly behind her back, noting Gourry's nod of understanding.

"Why us?" He demanded, his voice braking with irritation. "Why monster, hmm? There are thousands of powerful sorcerers in the world, and even dragons, why feed off us? It was so much safer to drain humans; you had to have known that!"

"Yes, we knew Mr. Xelloss!" Amelia cried standing to her feet, her tiny fists clenched in rage. "But to use humans..."

She lifted her tear stained eyes to meet him, the power there stunning. "That would be Evil!"

The princess shrugged tiredly, a small smile on her lips. "So I decided to absorb evil instead. Turns out, the talismans like it."

Xelloss gawked at her in horrified amazement, and then he laughed...

He couldn't help it, it was just so...

"Hey! Xelloss!" Lina yelled, nodding to Gourry who tossed Amelia the last whole Talisman. "Sorry about this, nothing personal..."

She met Dade and Amelia's gaze, each of them lifting their arms to present there Talismans.

Lina smirked, giving him a wary shrug, cutting off his laughter. "But you're the most powerful monster we know. Too bad, I always kinda liked you..."

Xelloss blinked at her for a moment and then the Talismans shone bright, triple streams of energy assaulting him.

"No!" Filia cried, standing to run to him.

"Stay where you are, Filia." Lina ordered glaring at her darkly. "Unless you're prepared to kill us to save him."

"No.. need... to... get... involved... Filia..." Xelloss cut in with a wan grin, she could swear it was almost amused. "...This... is... what... I was... waiting... for..."

He let out a wary groan, his power draining from him in torrents.

It was funny really; there was only one way to come out of this, all of his toys still intact, it was a bit insulting really, what he was willing to do for them.

But it had taken nearly a Millennia to stave off boredom like this; he wasn't ready to give them up yet.

Lina cackled madly, watching him squirm. "Oh Xelloss, did you really... huh?"

Xelloss dared a smirk as in unison the Talismans began to vibrate and scream.

"You see now, Lina!" He yelled gritting his teeth, feeling as though he was being torn in two. "You may have been able to absorb Dira and Dara, but tell me, do you really think you can handle me?"

He smirked coldly. "Well Lina, how about it? Are you evil enough?"

Amelia cried out in agony, her Talisman screamed even louder and shattered, throwing her to the floor.

"Why, Miss Amelia. Yours is the first to go…" Xelloss chided calmly, smirking down at her, gritting his teeth. "No surprise there, really…"

Dade let out a grunt of his own, sinking to his knees as his shattered as well.

"Good, good..." Xelloss stated merrily, turning to Lina, the feeling of pain a mere tickling sensation now.

"Well Lina?" He asked calmly. "Is your Will strong enough, hmm?"

Lina stared in horror as he let out a mad laugh and the Talisman on her wrist began to fracture.

"Well?!!" He yelled, feeling his own Evil cackling at him from around the room. "Are you more evil than me, Lina? Huh?!"

Lina smirked and Filia stared in horror as she held her fracturing Talisman up, turning her face away.

"No..." She whispered calmly.

"No one could be..." Filia whispered in horrified awe, sinking to her knees as Xelloss cast her a brief, knowing, look before grabbing the sorceress' wrist, the final Talisman shattering in his gloved palm.

O O O

Okay, so Xelloss' little tale, totally made up. Sorry, but it's a fun thought! (nn)

See you tomorrow for the "How do we deal with the way we just behaved" part... (n n)