Silence.

A young woman, a child really, stands at the top of the red-splashed hill. She takes a deep breath, her eyes sliding across the scene set before her, strands of pure copper pulling from the braid on her head and into her tear-filled eyes. She breathes again, with the air of doing so only out of necessity. She is tired, scared, and alone.

And a child.

The hill is covered with bodies strewn carelessly over the grass, children grasping at unreachable attackers, old men fallen over wood shafts driven into aged skin. The once vibrant grass is soaked in sticky red liquid, and everywhere you see a soldier kneeling over a body, crying their eyes out.

The child at the top of the hill cannot cry. If she cries it will ruin their slim chances—if she cries it will destroy the only chance at happiness anyone has.

Young eyes stare from a child’s face as they sweep over the carnage, mind racing for a plan. What would surprise Xellos? Nothing would. He was ancient, old as the stars—nothing would surprise him. What if—no. How about—no.

A sound behind the child startles her into a jump and a spin. The girl straightens, showing off coolly defined edges as she turns from mourning child into hard-spun queen. Her stance is strength, her hair is raging fire. Her grace bespeaks her lethal nature, and her set shows freedom.

But her eyes, her eyes…

They’re still those of a frightened child.

* * *

Zelgadis steeled down the urge to run forward, to hold her like he used to, to tell her everything was all right. He beat at the need to comfort, to patronize, to pretend everything would be fine someday. Somehow. And somehow, someway, he managed a sharp salute and click of his heels, a weak grin as the Queen managed to smile in return.

The smile made it all worth it.

"Any ideas?" He asked softly. He knew as well as she did that this was only the beginning-- this was only to hurt and demoralize them. The queen worried her lip as her mind whirred almost audibly, trying to find a way to surprise their foe.

"None."

"Goddamn, you guys! You look like your dog just died!" Queen and protector turned suddenly to stare at the strained young man working his way up the hill. He grinned falsely at them, holding up his gristly sleeve for inspection. Both looked at it in confusion.

"Just how am I supposed to get these stains out?" he wailed-- it had a high, discordant note to it, as if it was pulled from somewhere outside before being processed. "Look at all this! Everyone else has it, too. It looks like our side lost! Fuck it, all we have to do is sleep and anyone coming by would think we--"

"THAT'S IT!!" Lina shrieked, kissing Val soundly on the lips as Zelgadis nodded exuberantly. "Cliché as it is, you're a GENIUS!!! You stay right here, I'm going to tell the troops!!" Lina raced down the hill to the waiting troops.

"…what?" Val managed, looking up into her protector's eye and for once seeing Zelgadis in them.

"I think we found our element of surprise, Val. Thanks." Zelgadis trooped merrily down the hill, twirling his sword happily.

Val sighed and stalked off. "I don't think I'll ever understand them. I never want to be a ruler."

* * *

"damn it."

The silence was broken by a young soldier being audibly sick in the bushes, encouraging others to do so as well. Xellos scanned the area from his vantage on the midnight-black horse, glaring ahead at the spectacle of death.

Everyone. Everyone was dead, not just the cannon fodder he'd run forwards at the troops. Warrior after warrior lay among the fallen weaklings, eyes closed as if in slumber. Xellos cursed again, racing across the battlefield, searching desperately for something. Just in case, the entire army made sure not to let their horses trample anyone.

"DAMN IT!!" he screamed, leaping from his horse to fall next to a red haired corpse She lay with her sword still in her hands, vibrant red hair spilling over the blood drenched ground, red liquid marring her still form. "I thought you were better that this, Lina. I thought you were stronger! The greater good! The greater good! Isn't that what you always said? You shouldn't have let these weaklings get in your way! You shouldn't have!" Xellos slapped her prone face, leaving an angry red welt.

Xellas rode up towards him, still far behind. She'd had to come, knowing they would win in the end. She was in no danger, and she wanted to watch her servant in action. It sounded like fun, actually, and she could even kill a few people in cold blood. Perfect thing for Friday afternoon. Better yet, she could wear her new riding clothes and armor, showing off curves without letting anything be cut into pieces.

Now she regretted it; something was wrong. The hill wasn't still enough for the carnage over it. There wasn't enough blood for the bodies lying in it. It wasn't right.

"Xellos, there's something wrong!" She called up from below to the oblivious man in black armor, Riding at full throttle. She'd just queened the bastard, she wouldn't have done that to a fool. He wouldn't have miscalculated so badly. "Xellos, look out!"

"Damnit, Lina! I tempered you better than this!" Xellos growled, slapping her again. Her head lolled back, offering no resistance, and his armored gloves left cuts that started bleeding sluggishly as he yelled. "You were better than this! I--"

Wait.

Dead didn't bleed.

Lina's ruby eyes opened and her lips twitched into a malicious grin, teeth bared as she slid her sword home in the crack between his breastplate and back guard.

"Surprise."

Xellos stared at her wide eyed as a screaming yell echoed from a hundred throats, bodies rising from the carnage to stab mercilessly at the terrified opposing forces. The poor men never had a chance-- most, who had never seen a battlefield before, were already weak from shock, and dead jumping to their feet to stab you through the heart were never very good on the nerves…

Xellos heard his forces fall with hardly any effort at all, listing to the gurgling cries as arms which had frozen in horror reached up to clasp at blades sheathed in their hearts.

Xellos laughed at Lina, her sword deep in his chest. He wasn't sane anymore, Zelgadis decided, shivering. If he ever was.

"You little idiot! You think that can kill me? After all the power I have? I am full as I can possibly be of pure energy! There's no way a single sword can hurt me!" He crowed into the air, glring at the petty little thing who thought she could defeat him with mere steel…

"ZELGADIS! LIGHTENING!!!" Lina yelled, leaping away from the blade and Xellos as Zelgadis immedaitely called down electricity from the sky. No way one little thundershock could hurt him. He'd just absorb the--

Xellos screamed as electricity arced through and across him in little blue waves, ripping through his veins and tearing through his flesh. His face was a mask of appalled horror, as he turned, jerking, to stare at Lina. One last, single wail of desperation--

And Xellos fell to the ground in a charred, dead heap.

The fighters on both sides froze. A small cheer, gradually growing to a roar filled the bloody field. Zelgadis felt joy sweep through him, and stood slowly….only to crash back down when the blinding pain in his leg reached the adrenaline-drenched mind. He looked down to see a purple fletched arrow protruding from his thigh.

Zelgadis leaned heavily on his sword, taking in deep, gasping breaths and trying to ignore the racing pain in his thigh. Dammit…He'd had to get sliced open there, hadn't he? He had to make himself a setback for Lina while she was fighting her most despised, hated, and above all feared enemy.

Xellos…

But he was dead. He'd seen Lina run him through with the spell enhanced sword, he knew he was cold on the ground in from of him after he called the lightening through Lina's blade. Lina had her kingdom back. She finally had it back, and without Xellos constantly over her shoulder--

Now that she had it, would she want him anymore?…

That was just stupid. It was an especially stupid thing to worry about it in the middle of a battle, too. Hadn't he been hurt by not paying attention? Besides, Lina loved him, he knew Lina loved him--

Laughter behind him made him turn.

It was odd, really. The rest of Lina's rebellion shouldn't have been laughing like that. Laughter of joy, yes, but not this low, hateful chuckle--

"You think you've won, don't you?" A tall woman in bangles and purple stood in the middle of the field, laughing. "Hah! You have no idea what Xellos took from you. And you have no idea what I'm going to give you, either." She stopped laughing and glared. "You will all die for taking my favorite chess piece. I'll make you sorry. But…I think I'll let you live for a while, to fully understand the parting gift my dear Xellos left your lovely Lina…." She laughed and disappeared.

She didn't fly off, or run away. One moment she was there, the next…

She wasn't.

The parting gift my dear Xellos left your lovely Lina…

SHIT!! Zelgadis ran over to where he'd last seen Lina. She's alive, she has to be, she has to be…

He pulled up short of her. She was alive, yes, and she was conscious. He looked at her, searching for a wound behind the hands covering her face.

Crimson stain leaked between her tightly held fingers…