| Telling 4 ~ Falling Buckets! The Babysitting Job It was morning in a quiet city. One restaurant was opening. There was a banner saying all you can eat. "Uh boss," the assistant said. "Yeah," "Maybe it isn't such a good idea to have an all you can eat on the first day. I mean, what about the food devouring sorceress?" "You mean Lina Inverse? She's just a legend." And like a bolt of yellow, purple, and red lightning, the food was gone in twenty minutes flat. The owner was crying hard, "I'm ruined!" (this has…happened before…) * Six travelers marched onto another journey toward a large area of forest. "Lina," Zelgadiss said, "you didn't have to clean out that restaurant." Lina pleaded not guilty. "It's not my fault. They should have known not to put up an all you can eat sign." The chimera sighed. "I guess they should have been wise to know of infamous Lina Inverse." “What was that, Greywords?” Lina gritted her teeth. Zelgadiss ignored her. They stopped right at the entrance into the forest. A sign stationed itself on the closest tree. Aeron bounded forward and read it. “‘A crazy wizard lives in the forest. Hark and beware! Sincerely, the village beside the forest.’ Yep! This is the place!” “So what is this place and why are we here?” Lina asked. “This ‘place’ is the Forest of Odds and that crazy wizard is an friend of mine. He might have some talismans.” Lina glared at her, "Might?" Aeron nodded, "Be careful. This forest is known for it's strange magic properties. You can't get out of the forest unless you don’t want too." "What?" everyone asked at the same time. "Well, say you don’t want any some ice cream, but then, someone passes by and hands you one." "Oh, I guess I get it." Lina took a breath in and charged up another Amelia pose. “Yosh! Whatever it takes! We shall finish this quest without delay! No worries here!” “Miss Lina.” Amelia whined. “Stop that!” And so forth, our heroes continue on their journey and entered the dangerously bewitched forest. (*Enough of that hero stuff!* It sounds cool though Lina!) The forest was covered with a heavy mist and the silent sounds of little rodents. "Ugh, I can't see through this thing." Lina said with tiredness. "How we suppose to find a way to this old man?" Aeron turned to her, "Just think that you want the mist." "I don't see how that'll work." Mumbled Zelgadiss. Suddenly, the mist was gone. Everyone looked at each other. Then… “Aw…” Gourry sighed sorrowfully. “I really didn’t mind the mistyness.” "I guessed it worked," said Xelloss, "Maybe if I didn’t want some ice cream..." Then, out of the blue, a man with and ice cream cart past by and handed Xelloss a chocolate ice cream saying that it was on the house. "Yum!" he smiled widely. "Baka Xelloss!" Aeron grew red with frustration. He stuck his tongue at her, like a child, and ate the ice cream up. "Maybe,” spoke the princess, “we could wish that we don’t want to find this crazy wizard person…" And then a man on a horse, wearing and absurd samurai costume stopped in front of them and told them to follow… So they followed the man for some reason and what do you know, they came upon a house with a bright red roof and a sky blue door with a sign saying: “Crazy wizard lives here. HARK AND BEWARE!” The samurai man bade them farewell. Lina and the gang felt this whole place rather odd, as the name implies (Xelloss doesn’t. Usually when I say the gang feels this way or another, it usually doesn’t mean Xelloss. He’s always smiling wickedly). Anyway, they walked up to front door and Lina knocked. "Hello! Anyone home?" she shouted out. "Travelers should beware,” said a cranky, old voice from inside “come in and do take care." "What do you mean take care?" Zelgadiss asked with slight annoyance. "I left a bucket of water on top of the door so people won’t make too much noise and bother me." He said. SPLASH!!! It was a little too late for Lina. Lina rampaged with the bucket on her head. "Augh! How does that not make noise and bother you?!" They all stepped in and saw an old man sitting at a paper piled up table. He had a long, silvery beard and wore a long grayish robe. "Welcome to my humble cottage! I've been expecting you! I am Davyd, the really old, mad wizard. My, how are you Aeron?" "Fine, these are my friends, Lina, Gourry, Amelia, Zelgadiss, and Xelloss." "Hullo." smiled Xelloss. Lina set her hands on his desk and looked straight into his eyes, "So old man, I'll only ask you once. Do you happen to have any magical talismans? Ones that are round, rubyish like?" "Oh yes! I have three of those description!" He said, pointing in all directions. Everyone gazed around the place to find that it was cluttered with piled with papers, books, bottles, pens, and a bunch of other little things. "All right then, you could look for them if you want." Said Davyd. He went back to working on whatever he was working on. The group took another look at the room then took a deep breath. Then they began the search. Hours later... "Geez, gramps!" said an overly exhausted Lina, "Are you sure you don't know where they are?" "Yes Davyd," said Aeron, "Can’t you remember?" "Hmm, you know, I may have left them..." he pulled out two round, rubyish talismans out of his pocket, "I did leave them in my pocket!" Crash! Everyone collapsed onto the floor. Lina pulled her head up from the floor. “Hey, didn’t you say there were three?” “I did,” he replied, quite mildly. “The other one is in the other room.” He pointed the only other room in the house. No one really went into it though. “So you want them?” the old wizard ask. "Yes," exclaimed Zelgadiss. Everyone got up. "Then do me a favor." And once again, our heroes collapsed to the floor. "I would like you to first meet Xelan. XELAN!” A young boy with short purple hair came out the other room, "Um, yes?" Everyone stared at the boy then to Xelloss. "Wow," exclaimed Aeron, "These two look so much alike!" Davyd looked at the two purple heads, "Yes, yes, so they do. Anyhow, you must take him with you and take him to Atlas City. I have no use for him or these either." He waved the talisman around. "ATLAS!!!" cried Lina, "What for?! It’s way off course to where we are going!" Davyd put the talismans back into his pocket, "Well, if you don't want them..." "All right! We'll do it!" She pulled out the talismans from the wizard's pocket. "Okay team! Let's get going!" "Right miss Lina!" Amelia joined in the cheer. The both of them began dancing in a circle. Zelgadiss just stared and Gourry smiled along, though he didn’t really know why egveryone was so happy. Aeron smiled and turned to the little boy, "Hello Xelan! My name is Aeron!" The boy gave a weak smile, "Uh, h-hi." "How old are you?" Aeron asked. "I suppose I look around thirteen." “You don’t know?” Amelia came up from behind. “No.” Aeron took his hand and rubbed his head, "How cute! I'll be your friend if you wanted me too." He blushed. "Uh, okay." Lina and Amelia grabbed Gourry and Zelgadiss by the collars and stood at the door. Lina called to Aeron, "Hey hurry up Aeron! Grab the kid and get going!" "Okay!" She pulled Xelan to her side and they walked out with Xelloss. "Aeron! Take care of him!" Davyd called as they left. Xelloss watched the boy, without looking away. Who is that boy? Why does he look so much like me when I was his age? Xelan knew he was watching him, this made him blush. Aeron smiled and began talking to him and playing with him. Xelloss smiled at Aeron. Hmm, maybe he is not what he seems. Davyd stayed where he was, looking through the mess on his table. He stopped for moment and pondered. Maybe I should told them about Xelan… * In an inn somewhere past the ...that evening... Gourry snored on the table and Zel and Amelia listened to Lina. Lina ate while asking Aeron questions. "Let me get this straight. Xelloss was your master and he taught you lots of magic right?" Aeron brought Xelan some water and nodded toward Lina. "Here you go Xelan. Yeah. That's right." Xelloss drank a cup of tea while watching the boy. He's been doing that all day and Xelan couldn't stop blushing. Lina swallowed a shrimp. "Gulp. So, what about that secretary of yours? What's his name?" "Dryn? Oh he's with me. See my staff." She pointed at her staff leaning in the corner with their swords and Xelloss' staff. "That's him, sleeping. But his real name is Phibrizzocon. I call him Phibby-chan." Amelia almost fainted. Zelgadiss caught her and stared at Aeron. Lina went into shock. "Ph-Ph-Phibrizzo?! He's dead isn't he?!" Xelloss laughed, "Now don't worry. Phibrizzocon is just a present to Aeron for her fifteenth birthday. I gave it the shape of Phibrizzo for the fun of it, but he is nothing like the real Hellmaster." Lina grew mad and hit Xelloss in the face, "Why did you do that?!" Xelloss got up and rubbed his cheek, "Aeron likes little kids." Everyone turned to Aeron who was playing with Xelan’s hair. She looked up. "What?" Zelgadiss sighed. "Hey Aeron, why did you choose to become a fortuneteller?" Aeron stopped playing with Xelan and turned to Zel-kun. She shrugged. “I like telling people about happy endings. Those without happy endings, well, I don’t say that stuff often.” "Yes well," Xelloss folded his arms, “I still think you should have became a sorceress.” Aeron growled. “Well, you should know that I don’t have to do what you want me to do.” "Yes well you were a very adept student." "Yeah, but it was all torture and trips to Hell and so forth.” Everyone stared at him. Xelloss merely smiled back. “Well, I am a Monster. We tend to like hurting people. I am an extremely evil bitch. ” Zelgadiss took a sip of coffee, "I agree." "Go to Hell Master Xelloss." Aeron shot at him. Zelgadiss sipped his coffee again, “I agree with that too.” "Been there already, remember?" "Oh shut up." Zelgadiss agreed again and then Aeron got up and grabbed Xelan's arm, "Come on Xelan." "Um, okay." He followed her upstairs. Gourry woke up. "What did I miss?" Lina sighed, "Nothing Gourry. Just nothing." * Lina slept with Amelia. Zel, Gourry, and Xelloss shared another room. Aeron and Xelan took the last room. Lina, Amelia, and Gourry were sound asleep. Xelloss and Zelgadiss were talking, or rather.... Zelgadiss was complaining about why he had to share a room with Xelloss while Xelloss nodded along. Aeron was tucking in Xelan. "Sweet dreams Xelan." She whispered to him and kissed his forehead. "Tomorrow we'll head out to Sairaag." “Sairaag?” The boy asked. “Well, Atlas City is a tad farther than Sairaag, which was where we were heading to. So you are now officially part of Lina’s quest.” "Um, okay." He blushed. That made Aeron laugh, "Why are you so shy?" "Um, I’m not used to this life." Aeron nodded. “Just like I have never been to sorcery life.” “Actually…” Xelan tried to explain. Aeron tut-tutted him. “No need to explain. I totally understand.” “Okay.” He smiled and dropped his eyelids. Aeron sat onto her bed and took out a mandolin from under. She began to play "I and Myself." (You know, from Slayers Gorgeous) Xelan drift off to sleep by the song. Zelgadiss continued complaining until he was too exhausted to keep his eyes open. Xelloss laughed at him then vanished and appeared again in bunny pajamas with a little Xelloss plushie at hand. Zelgadiss was annoyed but crawled into bed, without cursing Xelloss. He fell to sleep like a "Breeze." (Aeron began playing it. From Slayers Try) Hahaha…. |