"Sore wa Himitsu De - " CLANG! A frying pan neatly soared across the table, making contact with the smiling Mazoku's face. The bashee pulled the pan off his face, and pouted at the red headed sorceress who had launched the pan. "Lina-chan... that wasn't very nice." If she noticed the slight endearment, she didn't notice. In fact, she wasn't paying any attention to him at all. After throwing the pan, her eye lighted on the swordsman making off with a piece of beef. How dare he?! So she responded by throttling the unfortunate.
"Gourry! For the last time! Keep your hands off MY food!" Lina screeched as she shook him.
"Lina, quit it! I thought you didn't want it! Ow!" He yelled back, still keeping the meat out of her reach. Still she tried, and in the ensuing chaos, managed to grab the meat, and stomp on Gourry's back to keep him down.
"Let that teach you." She took a large bite of the beef, and grinned. "It's still good! Anyway Xelloss, what were you saying before I panned you?" Gourry got off the floor, and levered himself back into his seat at the round table they were occupying.
"Sore wa Himit - " Lina cut him off.
"Before that."
"Oh! You mean about the location of Wolf Pack Island?" He reached across the table and wagged a finger in her face. "It's still a secret." Lina looked about ready to scream, so he quickly withdrew his finger to safety. To his suprise, she didn't scream, only munched on her food thoughtfully, looking unusually subdued
"I wonder why Zelas said that she wanted my genetic pattern... And if I know the Beastmaster, she already has it, and plans for it." She went back to eating, none of the three knowing that at this moment, those plans were already going into effect.
Somewhere on Wolf Pack Island, a pair of red slitted eyes opened for the first time. Beautiful in a way, but equally dangerous and foreboding. A slim hand reached up to push violet hair out of those eyes, violet hair that was already brushing her shoulders. The other arm, and hand, held her up, as she took a first look around the interior.
"W-where am I? Who am I?" The child spluttered out, as her eyes narrowed to let her see in the bright light. Somewhere else on Wolf Pack, Zelas felt the child awaken, and laughed gleefully. She made her way across the castle to the room where the hild was sleeping until recently.
"Now that she is awake... I suppose I have to give her a name won't I?" She chortled happily to herself, and looked in on the child, who was now peering around the room intently. Something fitting... she thought to herself something that captures both essences, now one. How about - - The ruby eyed child lifted her head just in time to catch this strange woman's next words.
"Your name is Xina Metallium."
They were walking again, Lina and Gourry. Xelloss had dissapeared earlier giving, as always, no reason for doing so. Lina wondered what Amelia and Zelgadis were doing. The last she had heard of them was that the chimera and the princess had gotten engaged, and that was the reason that they were heading to Saillune. I wonder if I'm invited to the wedding she thought, sighing, and reaching up to put her arms behind her head.
"Hey Lina, what are you thinking about?" Gourry said suddenly, ruining her train of thought. She sighed, and resisted the urge to clobber him.
"Nothing that would concern you, jellyfish-brain." She replied good naturedly. And they kept walking in silence. Lina went back to thinking. Where is that stupid Xelloss? I wonder how long it will take before we can see Saillune. That thought was shortly answered as they made their way over a small hill, and could make out the edge of town. Gourry pointed as they got nearer.
"There it is Lina." She did clobber him.
"You think I can't tell?" They entered Saillune, Gourry scratching his head, and wondering what he did that would annoy her. He only wanted to tell her that they made it. The two travellers walked slowly to the castle, and after threatening the doorman, got inside. Their entrance was heralded by a streak of justice.
"Lina-san! Gourry-san!" The streak yelled, leaving the royal dressmakers who looked stunned. "I'm so glad you could make it!" Amelia pulled up to a halt, her eyes misty. Behind her stood Zelgadis, looking rather uncomfortable in his suit.
"Hello Lina, Gourry." he nodded, looking extremely subdued next to the hyperactive minion of justice. In a tree near the palace, Xelloss, looking pleased.
"So... The chimera and the princess made a couple? How cute." His smile became broader. "That makes it one step less complicated to get my Lina-chan."
"Xi...na?" Her mouth formed around the strangely familiar syllables, and she looked up at the woman who had enlightened her so. "It is familiar...? Why?" The stranger just grinned wolfishly and said.
"Thank me later... and you can call me JouuOu-Sama." The violet haired girl blinked, and a small familiar smile tugged at her lips.
"Thank you... JouuOu-Sama." Zelas looked pleased, and motioned for Xina to get up.
"Here's your first task. Go meet a woman named Lina Inverse, and mazoku named Xelloss Metallium." Her smile widened, she would relish the look of shock on their faces. "They are in Saillune. Now go." The newly christened Xina Metallium nodded, and without a second thought, teleported.
A bewlidered Lina and Gourry were being tugged around the castle, and being made to evaluate all the decorations.
"I thought pink would look good on here, and you can't have too many bows!" Amelia rattled off a list of at least one hundred other enhancements to Saillune Castle, and for a good one hundred percent of the time, neither of them were listening.
"I'm sorry Amelia... I wasn't listening, was that last thing important?" Lina said in an off hand manner. Amelia's eyebrow started to twitch.
"Lina-san! It was all important! For the sake of Justice, I demand that you listen! I - " The rest of her speech was cut off, as a cry sounded from the door guard.
"Intruder! There is someone on the roof!" Lina, Amelia, Gourry, and Zelgadis dropped everything, and ran outside.
Xina laughed a little as she heard the doorman sound the alarm, but quickly looked around to see if she could spot either 'Lina Inverse' or 'Xelloss Metallium'. She peered intently downwards as a group of people exited the castle, two women, and two men. She had only caught the slightest sight of them before she found an arm around her neck, making it slightly hard for her to breath.
"What were you doing spying on my Lina-chan?" A voice said, remarkably close to her ear... Lina-chan? she thought. Could that be Lina Inverse? She broke his hold, with a bit of hard work, and spun around, her violet tunic flapping in the slight breeze, and was considerably shaken up when she realized that she was staring into a pair of amethyst eyes not unlike her own. The second one suprised was Xelloss.
Lina looked up, and saw first a violet haired girl in a violet tunic watching them, and presumed that she was the intruder. The second thing she saw was Xelloss. Who is that girl? Lina thought to herself, And why does she seem familiar? When she figured that out, the next thing she saw was the sky... and then darkness.
Chapter 2 | Fanfiction