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By Jessica

            A lone, dark figure stood on the high bluffs of the island, overlooking the violent sea below. He blended well into the dusk rapidly turning to night. The wind caught his cloak and whipped it around him, threatening to push him off the cliffs, but he just smiled and looked up to the sky where the stars began to show through the parting clouds. All day long the sky was overcast, but now that night fell, the clouds began to dissipate, allowing the twinkling lights to show through.

            The figure smiled again, white teeth gleaming in the moonlight. Tide was coming in. The violence with which the water crashed against the cliffs thrilled him, and his smirk grew as he watched the water foam around the jagged rocks, trying to escape back to sea before the next wave hit. It proved that nature truly was an unforgiving, ruthless force. It was wise not to mess with her. He chuckled as he heard the sharp cry of an unwitting bird caught in the gale and flung against the rocks. Yet another example of the violence all around them. And apparently, more was to begin. Yes, more fighting. That in itself did not appeal to this one. Like any of his kind, he thrived on the pain and suffering of those around him but to actually join the fight did not hold any interest for him. He’d much rather sit back and enjoy the show.

            Are you there, brother?

            The words came sharp and clear through his mind, and he smiled at the sound of his sister’s mental voice. He responded in kind that he was.

            Hai, he replied, I’m here.

            Return to the house. Mother has a job for us.

            Smiling, he turned and looked down the cliffs one last time, opening his eyes to get the full effect. Amethyst gems glittered with excitement and anticipation as the water frothed up, around the dangerous rocks below. Then, he turned and faded into the dark.

They say mother earth is breathing

With each wave that finds the shore

Her soul rises in the evening

For to open twilight’s door

Her eyes are the stars in heaven

Watching o’er us all the while

And her heart it is in Ireland

Deep within the Emerald Isle

            He bowed deeply before his master, then stood straight to address the woman. She offered a condescending smile that showed traces of affection. The woman was tall--taller even than the man before her--and had deeply tanned skin. Her clothing was Grecian-style, white and simple, but seductive as well. For she had the body to wear the clothing, shapely and perfect. Bracelets decorated her wrists and ankles, completing the ensemble. She lounged comfortably in a chair and studied the two before her.

            They looked very similar, despite the gender difference. But again, that was a matter of preference. Neither was male nor female, but something else entirely. They were creations. Mazoku. They were in a class all their own. Each form the individual mazoku chose showed a bit of personality in itself.

            The man was of average height, average build, and average everything else. He wore the robes of a priest, albeit dark as opposed to the typical light colored clothing. His hair was an odd violet shade, perhaps the only outstanding thing about his outward appearance. Then, there were his eyes. They were almost always closed, but when they opened, they could both hypnotize and terrify. The slit-pupil amethysts that lie there were brilliant in their own, demonic way. The master found them most amusing.

            Then, there was the woman. She looked the same in almost every way to the man, but for some growth in the chest. She also wore the clothes of a general--armor around her, and a long, dark cape. Her hair was lighter and longer, flowing down her back in light waves. And her eyes were lighter, more plain. But they were open always, and ruthless. The smile on this one’s face was belied by the cold, emotionless eyes. At the same time, the ice in her eyes would only melt for one--her brother. The mask even stayed up for her master, but when her brother was near, she relaxed, lowered her defenses a bit. It had always been that way, since they had been created--twins, in a way. General and Priest, connected by a bond that very few--even among humans and dragons--possessed.

            “Xelena, Xelloss,” the master smiled down at them, “the war has begun. I expect you two to be at the front.”

            “If you’ll pardon my asking,” Xelloss said cheerfully, “What is this war about?”

            “You are to fight the dragons,” Zelas replied, “You do not need to know more than that. When the time comes, I will explain everything. All you need to know for now is that by L-sama’s heartfelt will, we will fight.”

            “Does L-sama have a heart?” Xelloss asked curiously.

            “If She does, it is far from here,” Zelas replied, smiling at her priest’s never-ending interest in such odd things.

            “Dragons?” Xelena asked cautiously, returning to ‘important’ matters, “What kind of dragons?”

            “Gold, black, and ancient,” was the reply.

            “Ancient dragons,” Xelena was pensive, “Dangerous creatures, those ones. We’ll have to be careful.”

            Zelas smiled and nodded. Xelena was an excellent general, and she was proud of that fact. Even Dynast’s general could not hold a candle to this one. And with Xelloss maneuvering in the background, the pair was a force to be reckoned with.

            “Prepare now,” she ordered, “And you will leave as soon as you are ready.”

            “Hai, Jou-uu-sama,” they responded as one, bowing and teleporting away as one. Everything was done as if they were not two, but one and the same. Zelas smiled.

We are forty against hundreds

In someone else’s bloody war

We know not why we’re fighting

Or what we’re dying for

            “Yare, yare,” Xelloss murmured softly, “There are so many.”

            “Hundreds of thousands,” Xelena replied easily, “Not too bad.”

            They stood on a great precipice, gazing down at the dragons. Flecks of gold and black dotted the sky, scales glinting in the rising sunlight. Xelloss, unlike his sister, never once dropped his guard, even in her presence. His smile remained in place, his eyes closed, the mask perfected after years of practice. Xelena’s gaze softened a bit as she looked from the dragons to her brother. His smile seemed a bit wider, his eyes opened ever-so-slightly as he gazed down at the huge creatures in the valley.

            “What are you thinking, brother?” she asked.

            “They are magnificent,” he replied, “Don’t you think so?”

            “They are beautiful, but deadly,” she responded.

            “But, then again,” Xelloss opened one eye and smirked at her, “So are you.”

            Xelena grinned and looked away. Xelloss turned back to the dragons again as well, grinning as they called out loudly to one another--no doubt sensing their presence nearby.

            “We should rest now,” she commented, “We’ve never battled this many dragons before, and it will be difficult.”

            They disappeared into the dawning light.

They will storm us in the morning

When the sunlight turns the sky

            The sun had finally risen, the sky now blue, with only a hint of gold left from the sunrise. Two figures stood on the cliffs, overlooking the valley. Then, there was one--Xelena. Xelloss would work solely as support, as he always did. Priest versus General had different approaches to physical violence. Neither was stronger than the other, but it was Xelloss’s nature to work in the shadows, preferring to direct his enemies into a trap rather than face them head on before learning of their strengths and weaknesses. Xelena, on the other hand, lived for the battle. She never backed down and loved the excitement of facing an unknown opponent. She relied on Xelloss to help her finish off the particularly strong opponents when she needed to know the falling point. But, without him, she could do nearly as well. In their differences, they complemented each other.

            Be cautious, Xelena, Xelloss’s voice echoed softly in her mind, making her smile. If she grew reckless and put herself in danger, she knew he would come to help her. Together they could face almost any threat put before them. She responded to him, as she would no other.

            Don’t get killed, Xelloss.

            Soft laughter bounced around between her ears, only because she wanted it to, because she didn’t mind her brother laughing at her.

            Tell that to the dragons, he replied, Good hunting.

            And she felt him slip from her mind, let him go. She turned and grinned down at the hordes and hordes of dragons, flying lazily below her. The weren’t agitated by her presence yet. Yet. She chuckled. They would be.

Death is waiting for its dance now

Fate has sentenced us to die

            Blood flowed like water over the land. Dragons fell like rather large raindrops--if they fell at all--to the blood-soaked earth. If they did not fall, they were either very cunning/strong, or not enough of them was left after Xelena’s attack to hit the ground.

            Yes, Xelloss thought with a smile, It is as Xelena said it would be. She is not being very cautious, but she is making short work of those magnificent creatures. Wonderful.

            He stood on a small outcropping in the cliff, far below the action, but he had a good view. A small giggle bubbled up in him as he listened to the horrified screams of the dying and still-living. War was hell, yes, but it was wonderful. He smiled again and teleported off the rock cropping to a place far above the action.

            A small frown wrinkled his brow as he saw the surprising number of dragons swooping down and around Xelena. She seemed to be okay, though. She still had that smile on her face. It was oka-

            “XELENA!!” he resorted to vocalizing his surprise, the surprise being the reason he didn’t immediately get into her head. “Watch-!”

            Horror filled him as he saw the attack hit his sister from behind, catching her off-guard. He felt the attack as if it was he down on those cliffs, not Xelena, causing him to double over in agony. He squinted through pained tears down to her, willing his body to ignore the sympathizing torment. She looked up at him, sensing his presence. A smile touched her face when she saw him, then she coughed, blood splattering to her lips, and fell.

            “NO!!” his scream surprised the dragons, who had not known he was there. In the next instant, he was by Xelena’s side, catching her before she hit the ground, and they were gone. The dragons swooped and climbed back to the sky. They were now extremely agitated. If there were two... then what would the other one do? Especially now. They returned to their home, some rejoicing that they had killed a strong mazoku, the smart ones anxious about their future battles.

Ireland I am coming home

I can see your rolling fields of green

And fences made of stone

I am reaching out won’t you take my hand

I’m coming home Ireland

            Do you really think the Lord of Nightmares has a heart, brother?

            Xelloss was glad they couldn’t speak out loud in this place--a pocket between dimensions. The lump in his throat was strangling him to the point that he couldn’t speak anymore. He smiled down at Xelena, in his arms, his face a perfected mask of cheer.

            Of course, Xelena, he responded, She could not have created such magnificent beasts if she had not a heart.

            I have a heart.

            He stared at her, stricken, his eyes--the true portal to his emotions--opened and pained. His smile faltered slightly, only for him to bring it back, straining to hold the corners of his lips up. No mazoku ever spoke like this. Not unless- He couldn’t make himself even think the word.

            I’m taking you home, Xelena, he informed her.

            Iie, she smiled at him, Take me HOME, brother.

            He sighed and nodded in acquiescence. He would take her to their childhood play place. He believed that was the home of which she was thinking.

Oh the captain he lay bleeding

I can hear him calling me

These men are yours now for the leading

Show them to their destiny

            Far from any village, far from Wolf Pack Island, the trees grew. They grew tall and full, their leaves blocking almost all light from touching the ground. As a result, only mosses and ferns grew on this tropical forest floor. The air was damp from the dwindling rain, and most of the animals had gone into hiding. There was the occasional chirp from a small bird or monkey, and the even less common howl of the wolves that frequented the area.

            A dark flash in the middle of a clearing was unnoticed, and Xelloss and Xelena appeared. Xelloss was standing with his head bowed over his sister in his arms. He gently lowered her to the ground and propped her head against a small log.

            “Xelloss,” her voice was weak--dying. Xelloss hesitated, then turned his head to look down at her. She smiled at him, looking strangely at peace and calm. Even the pain was not there anymore. “Let me see you.”

            That was a request not many would have dared making. And with good reason. He would have killed them on the spot. But Xelena was the one exception. She was his twin, his sister, his love in a way. She reached up slowly and touched the hair tumbling forward over his eyes, obscuring them from view.

            “Please,” she murmured.

            The mask slipped, and he lifted his head. Xelena smiled, tears welling into her eyes, partly from exhaustion, partly from what she saw in her brother’s tortured eyes. Now that it had fallen, Xelloss could not lift the smile back to his face. He bit his lip and surveyed the damage. Xelena would die. There was nothing he could do to change that. But he felt like he was dying as well, and he was willing to do just about anything to make that pain stop.

            “Xelena,” he murmured hoarsely, “I cannot save you.”

            “I know,” she chuckled, then coughed dryly. “But I have one thing I want you to have, before I die.”

            A choked sob escaped Xelloss for the first time.

            “Matte,” he whispered, “Please don’t.”

            “Gomen,” she replied softly. She smiled again, “You know I said I have a heart?”

            He nodded, unable to speak anymore.

            “I know I must, because I love you, brother,” she continued, “And I want you to have it.”

            His breath caught in his throat as he realized what she was saying. He shook his head desperately.

            “No,” he gasped, “No!”

            “And this,” Xelena said, reaching out to him.

            With the last of her considerable strength, she grasped hold of his hair and pulled his head down to her. Xelloss balked as she pressed her lips to his suddenly. He jerked back, trying to free himself from her grip, but she would not be denied this last chance to give him her gift. A soft sob escaped him as she faded away and was absorbed into his body. She disappeared, leaving him holding air, and a large, spherical ruby. Her heart. And through the woods, he could hear her final words--words which would haunt him for years to come.

            They say home is where your heart is, her voice in his mind sounded peaceful--for a mazoku, well, they might not have had this in mind when they said it, but my heart is with you, brother. In you, I live always.

            The wolves howled. Xelloss fell forward on the spot where his sister had lain and curled himself around the gem in his hands, sobbing quietly. He fell asleep, listening to the followers of Beastmaster.

And as I look up all around me

I see the ragged tired and torn

I tell them to make ready

Cause we’re not waiting for the morn

            Much later, Xelloss woke and sat up slowly. He found himself surrounded by a pack of wild wolves and opened his eyes to stare at them. No, they were not wild wolves. They were Beastmaster’s wolves. Sent to bring him back. His mask slipped back into place, his smile returning, and his eyes sliding shut. The wolves whimpered and pranced around him anxiously, and he patted the nearest one lightly on the head.

            “Go back and tell Jou-uu-sama that I will finish what Xelena and I originally set out to do,” he told it. The wolf whined and ran off into the woods, followed closely by the others.

            Xelloss stood and studied the jewel in his hand. He could not carry it like this, and he could not dispose of it. To do so would be to kill himself. He and his sister, now they were one. She was dead, but she was in him--literally. He would do what she desired him to finish.

            Cupping his hands around the gem, a soft glowing engulfed it. He pulled his hands away, stretching the light, twisting it. Until he had finished. He grasped the tall, twisted staff and studied it intently. Nodding to himself, he decided that this was indeed what he wanted.

            Then, he turned, and disappeared. As he traveled to his destination, he opened his eyes, their amethyst depths cold and unforgiving. The ones who had done this would suffer. He would make them suffer.

Ireland I am coming home

I can see your rolling fields of green

And fences made of stone

I am reaching out won’t you take my hand

I’m coming home Ireland

            Holding his new staff in one hand and staring at the dark sky, a cold, cruel smile played on Xelloss’s lips. He turned his head slightly to study the jewel at the tip of his staff. It was truly beautiful, glowing with inner power that stemmed from him. He looked down and imagined that he could hear Xelena’s fading voice in his mind.

            Arigatou, brother, she whispered, I am home, and you too will be, someday.

            He turned and looked at the cliffs. It was there that Xelena had been struck. And it was there that he would fight.

Now the fog is deep and heavy

As we forge the dark and fear

We can hear their horses breathing

As in silence we draw near

            He stood quietly on the cliff, looking down at the dragons. Already they were getting agitated, sensing his presence. Now, they knew it who it was. And experience told them it would be wise to attack with great numbers. Xelloss smiled again.

There are no words to be spoken

Just a look to say good-bye

            Xelloss looked down at the ground. His sharp eyes caught sight of his sister’s blood drops on the rock. The sound of dragons’ wings beating the air, brought his attention back to the battle, and he smiled again. He opened his eyes and glared at the beasts. They rose high above the death site and gathered in a huge group. They dived.

I draw a breath and night is broken

As I scream our battle cry

            He closed his eyes again and lifted his hand. In an accusing gesture, he pointed at the dragons.

            “Shi’ne,” he whispered. “All of you.”

            And they did. Drawing his finger in an imaginary line across the sky, power streamed forth and toward the dragons. They exploded. A few were left, looking around in confusion, unsure as to what had happened. Xelloss smiled. He would let them live. Let them return to their villages and try to explain to their elders exactly what they had created. In killing one strong mazoku, they had created a second mazoku, twice as strong as the first. Stronger now, than any other, save the five greater mazoku directly under Shabranigdo. And one without mercy.

Ireland I am coming home

I can see your rolling fields of green

And fences made of stone

I am reaching out won’t you take my hand

I’m coming home Ireland

            “Xelloss?” A small, familiar voice broke through his thoughts. “Yoohoo, Xelloss!”

            He lifted his head and found himself staring into the ruby-red eyes of Lina Inverse, sorcery genius--or so she liked to call herself. But it was true. She was stronger, by far, than any other human. No one but this one could ever control the Ragna blade. And that, Xelloss found, was very intriguing. He smiled.

            “HaiYes, Lina?”

            “Just wondering if you were all there,” she said with a funny wink, “You zoned out on us there for a few minutes. I had to call your name three times before you answered. Something bothering you?”

            “Iie,” he shook his head, “Nothing.”

            “Another secret, huh?” she sighed.

            “A secret,” he murmured, “Hai.”

            A cold smile touched his lips, and he opened his eyes. Lina shivered at the sight, but he didn’t notice. He studied the jewel on his staff and touched it lightly.

            “A secret,” he echoed. “A very, very old secret.”

            Lina blinked, shook her head, then smiled again, deciding she probably didn’t really want to know. If it was something that could affect Xelloss, then it wasn’t your average, everyday preoccupations. In many cases--such as this one--perhaps ignorance really WAS bliss.

            “Well, we’re going to get something to eat,” she informed him, “You want me to bring you something back? Since you’ve already told me you didn’t want to come.”

            He shook his head and closed his eyes again with a soft sigh.

            “Iie, Lina,” he smiled, “I’m not hungry.”

            “Suit yourself,” she grinned and gave him her cheerful victory sign, “That makes one less person I have to fight with to get my meal!”

            She left, leaving Xelloss to his thoughts again. He stood and went to the window to look up at the stars. A small smile touched his lips as he considered his traveling companions--irritating and otherwise. It was an interesting, eclectic group, and though he would never admit it outright--at least, not to the point where anyone would be certain they could believe him--he liked it. In all his centuries of life, he had never met a group of people quite like this one. He planned to enjoy himself while he could, as he accompanied these little pawns of his.

            “Arigatou... sister,” he murmured.

            You have found a home, Xelloss.

            He smiled.

I am home Ireland

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