Once upon a time...
Amelia Tesla folded her thin arms on the big white windowsill before her, resting her chin on them as she stared dreamily at the view presented below. She was a princess, a pretty girl with hair like the golden sun and skin the color of the purest snow. A princess living on the edge of the forest, in a huge castle with thousands of servants to do everything for her. And any minute now, her Prince Charming would come riding through the trees on a dazzling white stallion to woo her. Would she let him in? Or would she dally for a while, and let the amorous youth wait with -
HONK!!
Amelia jumped, startled out of her reverie by the harsh reality of Life. The trees below her weren't a forest. She did not live in a castle. And she was not a princess, nor would she ever be. Amelia glared at a passing streetcar from her apartment window, upset by its noise and the foul, toxic fumes it secreted into the already-noxious air of New York City.
No, she wasn't a princess. She wasn't even blond.
And the apartment wasn't even hers. It was really her father's, but at least the tiny bedroom was her own. Her own little place to dream about all the things she could never have. You see, Amelia wasn't rich. In fact, she and her father were far from it. Her father was a cop, and the only reason they lived on the edge of the Park was he had Influence. Otherwise known as the power to blackmail. That was how things were done in New York. She knew her father didn't like it, but how else was he to care for his daughter on the meager salary the city paid him? The city officials didn't care where he and his two-member family lived, nor that they could barely scrape by in rent even with his Influence and Amelia's salary.
The little alarm clock by her bed beeped insistently, and Amelia groaned aloud. It was almost time for her shift, and she wasn't nearly awake enough to work. She was a part-time waitress at the NairaNaira Hot Pot, a little restaurant near the apartment. And she hated it. They didn't pay her nearly enough to deal with all the annoyances she had to put up with. It was terribly unjust. Amelia reached for a dull-colored scarf and tied her black hair away from her face, trying to slide into her shoes at the same time. It didn't quite work, and ended up taking more time than it would have if she'd done them separately.
Taking a little time to pick up around the apartment and fix her father a cheap TV-dinner, she slowly made her way to the door. Her bike was leaning against the wall beside it, an old beat-up thing that her father had found in one of those obnoxious police auctions. The thought of riding something that a criminal had previously owned made her shudder.
Amelia almost ran over her father on the way down the hall, struggling to wheel the two-big bike around all the junk people had left in the hallway. "Hi, Daddy."
Phil Tesla was a big man. Big, and ultimately scary. Some likened his appearance to that of a troll, though Amelia herself disagreed. She admitted that her father could easily send fear into the hearts of the people he chased, but he really was a docile, peace-loving man. He seemed distracted, almost not hearing her words. "Hello, daughter. Where are you going?"
"To work, Daddy," she said, sighing. "Like I do every day when you come home." That was one of her dreams. To actually spend time with her father instead of seeing him briefly like this, barely exchanging a few words. He was her role model, and she wished to be with him always. "I left your dinner on the fridge."
He wasn't listening to her. "Another thing gone wrong..." he mumbled to himself. "Such injustice..." He blinked, realizing that he'd spoken out loud. "Um. I want to talk to to you later, Amelia."
"Why?" she asked. "Is something wrong?"
"Don't worry about it," her father answered. "Have fun at work. And don't walk through the Park; it's not safe at night."
"Okay, Daddy. Bye!" she said cheerily, having no intention of following his advice. He waved halfheartedly at her as she wheeled awkwardly down the hall, hunching her shoulders only after her father was out of sight. She didn't want to go out into the dirty city. She didn't want to work in that horrible place again. Her life...sucked.
The magic shoes were killing him. That was all Ma-ou Shabranigdo could think about. Invisibility could be a wonderful thing, but at the moment, he just wanted to tear the tiny things off his massive, claw-like feet. Whoever had designed them obviously had not intended for someone of his size to wear them. Nor had the person whom had designed the Snow White Memorial Prison, it seemed.
Shabranigdo grumbled to himself. The things a Dark Lord had to do these days.
The corridor turned here, opening into a tunnel even more cramped than the previous one. He was close. Very close. Every few yards a striped beam of moonlight fell upon the cold floor, but he knew none could see him. This mission was going to be very easy.
Shabranigdo paused before one of the moonbeams and, with a wave of his hand, broke the restraining spell that had been placed on the door there. It swung open with a loud bang as it connected with the wall, and the three inhabitants yelped simultaneously, one jumping under her cot and the other two leaping into a poor excuse for a defensive position.
He frowned at them, even though they couldn't see him. The only female in the group was quavering under the bed, terrified. Mazenda, although not much smaller than the others, all too often let her femininity take over and fear override her training. It was sad to know that she was a better fighter than the other two. Unlike them, she appeared completely human in this form. Kanzel, although humanoid, was oddly decorated with blue skin and physics-defying hair.
Then there was Seigram, who didn't even have a human form. He looked more like a mummy in a cloak than anything else.
"You are pathetic," Shabranigdo growled at last. "You call yourselves Mazoku? I'm ashamed to have you as my children."
At the sound of his voice they relaxed slightly, and Mazenda even poked her head out from under the cot. "Sorry, Ruby-Eye-sama," Kanzel mumbled, a little ashamed. "It won't happen again."
Yeah, right. "This is the last time I come and rescue you. Get your things. We're going. Now."
They left the cell shortly and crept through the prison corridors, holding onto their "father" so that they wouldn't be noticed. Although they could take care of themselves against a bunch of weak humans, they didn't want to take any chances. Some humans were beginning to get a little too smart for their liking. But they didn't encounter anyone.
Wait.
Shabranigdo paused. Had that voice been speaking aloud, or just in his head? He heard one of his children give a grunt of surprise; obviously they had heard it as well.
Come to me.
That voice...it was absolutely intoxicating. Strong and alluring, and...
What the hell are you waiting for, stupid? Get over here right now!!
"Okay, okay," he muttered, changing direction and ignoring the protests of his children. He wanted to see what kind of female had a voice like that. It had been quite a while since the last time he...well, let's just say our little Shabby-chan was a bit frustrated. The overly large lobster look of his body tended to scare females of all races away, despite all the pickup lines about his size he used.
They turned off the main prison corridor toward a sign that read: MAXIMUM SECURITY WING. Upon the voice's direction, he blasted open the big oak door there and practically ran down the tunnel toward another door. He didn't notice the sign swinging down in front of him until it smacked him in the face, knocking him to the ground.
"No Admittance Past This Point," Mazenda read aloud. "Interesting."
Shabranigdo growled and got to his feet, only to have another sign knock him down again. "No Physical Contact With Prisoner." The busty young woman raised an eyebrow. "You okay there?"
Seigram reached out for the Dark Lord he couldn't see. "Ruby-Eye-sama," he squeaked, "we shouldn't be in here! This is where they keep the Queen!"
"Shut up," Shabranigdo snarled. He was too curious to stop now. He approached the door carefully, hunching over in the cramped passage, and barely ducked the third sign that swung down from the ceiling. "Where the hell are these things coming from?!"
"Leave Food In Basket," Mazenda read, and eyed the collection box below. "These humans are awfully paranoid."
Open the door.
Shabranigdo paused.
Are you deaf or something? Open this damn door!
He gave a start, realizing that he'd drifted off into daydreams of the powerfully voiced woman again. Slipping out of his magic shoes, he took a few moments to break the hundred some-odd spells that sealed the female inside her prison cell and threw open the door.
A human woman sat on the edge of a cot. She was dressed in a stunning green cloak, the hood just showing the flaming red hair that framed her pretty face. Dazzling red eyes pierced straight through him, and a slow smile spread across the woman's blazing features. She was absolutely delicious.
Ma-ou Shabranigdo's eyes traveled down her petite body, taking in the curve of her hips and legs, and the flatness of her... He blinked. "You're a guy?"
The woman's expression changed, and Shabranigdo found himself crispified by a rather large fire spell. "Excuse me??" she demanded, her face furious. "I am not a guy!"
"But you're so flat!"
"FIREBALL!"
Shabranigdo coughed out a cloud of smoke. "I've never seen a woman with such a lack of - "
"Would you like to be fried again, buddy?"
He sighed and turned to his three children. "I can't believe I wasted my time freeing her!"
"Wasted your time? What do you mean?" the red-haired woman asked.
"Sorry, you're too underdeveloped for my tastes. Even *I'm* not that desperate."
The woman twitched visibly, and he saw her bring her hands up into the traditional position for a large-scale attack spell. "Darkness beyond twilight..."
Seiryuun was a lousy, depressing place. Or at least that's what Prince Zelgadis thought as he rode through the countryside in a plushy red carriage, growling at the cheerfulness outside. The birds were singing loudly and the buzzing of bees filled the air, annoying he crap out of the prince. He hated sunshine. And cheer. And most of all, he hated riding in that stupid carriage with its stupid pillows that he kept sinking into, traveling out into the stupid wilderness to meet some idiot commoners who just happened to make him a coronation gift.
Of course, to top it all off and make his day just that much better, he was being forced to make a stop at the Snow White Memorial Prison to visit his stepmother, the Queen.
Zelgadis rested a craggy arm on the carriage's window and sighed loudly. The pillows were really agitating him. How many times did he have to tell his servants that fluffy pillows and a stone body simply did not go together? He was growing really uncomfortable and didn't care if it showed or not. After all, it hadn't been his idea to visit the Queen in her royal cell. He really didn't want to see the person who had cursed him in that chimera's body ever again. But alas, the life of a prince was highly unsuited to such wants.
And now that he was to become king, his own needs mattered even less.
At least the journey was almost over. He could see the prison looming in the distance, the very tower of doom and gloominess. It rather reflected the way Zelgadis felt, and only deepened his usual depression. What he didn't see were the usual crowds of people that greeted him wherever he went, the chattering and pointing commoners he disliked so much. Hadn't they ever seen a cursed person before?!
The carriage pulled up in front of the prison, and Zelgadis's manservant frowned at the obvious lack of greeters. "I'm sure they haven't forgotten about us, Your Majesty," Zolf reassured him as the carriage drew to a stop. Like Zelgadis cared if he were greeted or not. But Zolf had that look on his face again, the one that clearly expressed his dislike for those who showed disrespect to the prince. Zelgadis sighed. He was weary, so weary...
Zolf had disappeared into the prison by the time the prince finally reached the door. Something was...not right. The chimera prince peered cautiously into the prison, trying to decide whether to run back the other way or not, when a hand reached out of the darkness and grabbed him.
Zelgadis swore and fumbled for his sword, only to find that it had been taken from him. He cursed again as his unknown attacker dragged him bodily into the prison, struggling against an iron grip. The prince managed to shout out a strangled, "Flare Arrow!!" during the struggle, but nothing came of it.
The person holding him let out a low chuckle. "You think that's even going to scratch me, boy? A Mazoku's skin is thicker than even yours."
Zelgadis froze. Mazoku? Here, in Seiryuun? "Who are you?" he demanded, fear shooting through his veins.
"Your worst nightmare, little stone freak," a different voice, female this time, answered him. The prince's heart sank as the owner of that voice came into view, flanked on either side by what he supposed were other Mazoku. The female smiled at him. "What's the matter, Zelgadis? You didn't expect a welcoming committee?"
The Queen. How she had escaped her cell was a mystery; the most powerful mages in the land had secured it years ago. The chimera prince swallowed hard. "What do you want with me?"
"Oh, nothing much," the redheaded Queen said, her lips curved into a particularly evil-looking smirk. "Just a small bit of revenge." She gestured to the small picnic basket in her hand. "Would you like to know what's inside this?"
"Not really."
There were scuffling sounds coming from the box, and the Queen grinned. "Well, that's too bad," she said, lifting the lid.
Zelgadis sprang back as he was assaulted by a flurry of feathers and claws. "What the hell?!" he sputtered just before the entire world grew before him.
Or, rather, he was shrinking. The prince blinked in confusion at the huge objects all around him, including one that looked exactly like him. It was his own face and body? Wait a minute...he was on the floor now, wasn't he? So how could he also be standing up there?
Then he noticed that the standing-up him was human. "Oh, crap," he tried to say, but it came out sounding something like, "SQUAWK!!"
The Queen was practically rolling on the ground with laughter. What was so funny? Zelgadis bent down to look at his reflection in a small puddle on the ground and nearly fainted at what he saw there. His chimeraic curse still showed through this new form, feathers made of stone and little dark rocks sticking out all over like they had in his other body. He was a chicken. A chicken.
He had to get out of there.
Letting loose what sounded like another unintelligible squawk, Zelgadis flapped his wings and scooted off down the hallway, trying desperately to fly. He didn't even know if he could, due to the stone. This was even worse than his previous curse! But it was more important to think about getting away now; he could hear the Mazoku behind him, chasing him, and the Queen's voice urging them on.
The Queen sighed as she watched the trio of Mazoku race down the hallway, teleporting in and out every few moments. "What are the chances of them catching him?" she asked the large, hulking figure in the shadows.
"Pretty slim," Shabranigdo admitted. "They haven't yet finished a mission I've given them. Couldn't even kill off the Ryuzoku. I had to get someone else to do the job."
"I'll need help, then," the Queen murmured, eyeing her new version of Prince Zelgadis. The chicken-prince was clucking softly and trying to scratch at the ground, looking utterly baffled. No, that would do her no good. This creature had about as much brainpower as those other idiots. "Wait for me outside," she said to her lobster-like companion, "and bring our new prince with you."
"Hey," Shabranigdo objected. "I'm the Dark Lord here. Why are you giving orders?"
"Because I SAID SO." The Queen turned on her heel and stalked away from him. She had other things to deal with. Like finding someone competent to catch the runaway prince.
She walked past a number of prison cells, examining each and every one of the inmates there. No, none of them were right. She needed speed, more speed than mere humans could give her. And cunning. In a chicken's body, Zelgadis could keep a person busy looking for hours.
The Queen cursed. She was almost about to give up and rely on Shabby's brats when she saw...purple.
She drew closer to that cell. A man sat inside. A slender, tall man. The standard uniform of a prison inmate simply did not go with the shock of purple hair that hid his eyes, and his posture showed that he was not the normal sort of prisoner. He would be fast in that body, but that was not what drew her to him.
"You're a Mazoku, aren't you," she informed him matter-of-factly. The man lifted his head at the sound of her voice.
"Ah, well. You see, that is a secret," he answered her in what had to be the most charming voice she had ever heard in a male, smiling in her direction with closed eyes. Oh, yes. This was what she needed.
She ignored his flippant answer and examined the restraining spells on the door, wondering why this one hadn't been placed in Maximum Security like she had. His astral signature was strong, stronger than she'd ever felt in a Mazoku. This one would have no trouble catching the prince for her. "If I let you out, you will serve me without question?"
The purple-haired Mazoku stiffened, and the Queen understood why. A pledge of loyalty was the most serious thing a Mazoku could do. Pledges of that sort could not be broken. Ever. She knew that he didn't want to pledge himself to her, but she also knew that he wanted to be released more. She had the upper hand.
He cocked his head to one side. "If I pledge, what will you have me do?"
Ah, so now he was recognizing her power. Good. "I have turned Prince Zelgadis into a chicken. Find him, and bring him to me."
"Is that all?" the Mazoku asked, opening his violet slit-pupiled eyes to stare at her. Those eyes were mesmerizing, and the Queen found herself short of breath as she gazed into their depths.
"...yes," she finally said, her voice sounding slightly flustered. "I must have the prince in my possession. I will release you if you promise to bring him to me."
"Very well. I pledge to do your bidding."
Zelgadis tried very hard not to squawk as he scuttled through the corridors of the prison, the three Mazoku in hot pursuit of him. He had no idea where he was going. Things looked very strange to him from his view as a chicken, and it was difficult to judge distances this way. He'd already discovered that staircases were not good for chickens, and tried to look before he leapt through the next opening in the wall.
Too late. He tumbled down this second staircase into what seemed to be a sort of basement, filled with boxes and other old junk. There might be a place for him to hide here. Could the Mazoku somehow sense him without seeing him? He hoped not.
He could hear voices behind him again; apparently the enhanced senses his chimera form carried had transferred into this one. The three Mazoku were arguing with someone else, and he mentally swore. Another person to hide from. The prince ducked into a corner and crashed right into something tall.
Zelgadis squawked and jumped back from what appeared to be a large mirror. His own chicken form gazed back at him for a moment before the entire image shifted before his eyes.
And an amazing sight graced his presence. It was almost like looking into a crystal ball, or through a magic circle, but the place he was seeing looked nothing like anywhere he had ever been. There was a huge ocean, and beyond it a phantasmic city that stretched high into the sky and shone in the sunlight. Within this city he could see a small flash of familiar green, and he focused on that part of the mirror.
The image moved in toward the green speck almost immediately. There were trees, and a path made out of a strange black substance. A human girl was coming down the path on some sort of riding contraption. Zelgadis heard footsteps coming down the stairs and made the quickest, most rash decision of his life. He jumped through the mirror with all the strength he could muster.
He flew.
Straight at the girl.
And he heard her scream before everything went black.