The Twist

Chapter 6: Realize The Coming Strength

He sat on the edge of the cliff, waiting. In the distance, he could see his companion, Filia. She walked slowly, and could tell he was watching her. Her cape flew with the wind, as did her hair. She looked sad, and didn't look forward to fighting the winged enemy.   Xelloss was woken up by the shock that Filia stole power from him earlier. He was angry to figure it out, and cursed Xellas, the one who made it happen. He still couldn't believe it. It just wasn't right, for his master to do that. It was way too mixed up, but now's not a good time to curse about it. He had to get this new enemy dead, and quick, before he gives all his power to Filia, whenever she touches him.   His long purple hair flew with the wind, as the angry look on his face scared th flying birds around him. He looked straight at the Fire Dragon Temple in the distance, and wished that he had destroyed all the golden dragons. Otherwise, he wouldn't have had these miserable problems.   Filia walked up to the bottom of the cliff, and looked around. There was no corpses from the mosters before. They had vanished, somehow. Filia shivered at the thought, and looked up.   Xelloss didn't notice that she was waiting for him to come down, and silently watched the birds around him, longing to kill, to burn away his anger. He clenched his staff in his right hand, and nearly broke it in half. His clothes weren't damaged anymore. He gained new ones while he was in the Astral Plane, and didn't have one thought of pain. Usually, he didn't mind the pain at all, but this pain, was too overwhelming. He longed to get away from Filia, and to never see her again....   The monster stood up, and looked around for the dragon. She wasn't anywhere near she was last time, and he started to wonder, all the while not looking down at the awaiting Filia.   Filia stomped her foot. She was getting impatient, and wondered how Xelloss could've lost sight of her. She walked fairly slowly, and didn't hide, or anything.... Something must really be on Xelloss' mind.   And what she doesn't know, is that the thing in Xelloss' mind wishes the blood of murder.   "XELLOSS!!!" yelled the waving dragon. "OVER HERE!!!!!"   The monster heard the voice, and looked down, while leaning over the cliff. He slightly slipped, and lost balance at the edge.    "H-HEY!" he fumbled, and quickly disappeared.   "Huh? Where'd he go....?" wondered the whispering Filia.   Xelloss suddenly re-appeared a little distance away from the dragon. "Oh my... That was close." he said with a slight smirk on his face. He wondered why it took so long to disappear. Was that the power Xellas took away from him?   "What--"   "Let's go." Xelloss interrupted. He was mad at Filia for sure. She was taking all his power away from him.   Filia frowned, and watched as Xelloss walked up to the wall of the cliff.   The monster wondered if he had enough strength to open this gateway. Could he...? With only one way to find out, he placed his right hand on the wall, while his left hand held his staff.   The dragon watched, as nothing happened.   "Stop fooling around, Xelloss!" she snapped angrily. She definately wanted to get this over with.   Xelloss cursed, as he heard a familiar voice in his head.   "Use the force, Luke!" it said.   Xelloss' eyes widened, and he smirked. "Keep that in the Star Wars series you fruit! I can kill Luke anyday!" he snapped.   Filia watched, bug-eyed. Why was he talking to himself about Star Wars....?   "Xelloss. Use the anger inside of you. Use all the emotion to burst your way in. I know you're mad.... So use that in a good way." Filia said, trying to comfort her cursing friend.   Xelloss looked at Filia with an angry face, but seeing her sad reaction to it, he softened. It wasn't her fault. It wasn't her fault that she took his power away from him. It was Xellas. He had to make sure Xellas would forgive him, and in order to do that, he had to kill these creatures!!   Xelloss focused all of his mind into opening the cliff's wall, as he placed both his hands on it. Still, nothing happened. This was angering the monster, and with a loud holar, Xelloss punched the wall, and fell to the ground in the pain that he always loved. Nothing like Xellas' pain. This was the savouring pain.   The trickster smiled, and looked at his broken hand. Slowly, it fixed, as he rubbed his hands together.   Filia watched the sitting Xelloss. Her eyes turned to sorrow, watching him savour his pain. It was inhuman for someone to do that, and hurt Filia, deep inside of her.   To both of their amazement, a sudden crack appeared in the cliff. Xelloss tried to crawl away, because he couldn't disappear.   Filia stared, and gasped at the struggling Xelloss. A rock headed right for him, and before it hit, he finally disappeared.   "Xelloss!" screamed Filia. She looked around frantically, and finally Xelloss appeared beside her. She looked at him questioningly, and his only response was anger.   "Why did--"   "Let's go." he interupted. He didn't want Filia questioning his weakness. She already made fun of him before....   Xelloss walked up to the hole in the wall. It was big enough to walk through, but not big enough to make the cliff collapse. He peered inside, and smirked. It was dark, and yet light. Xelloss seemed to have opened the doorway perfectly, because it fit the long dropping hallway before them. It led downward, and neither one of them could see where it leaded. Just pitch black.   "Scary...." whispered Filia, looking around. She walked down the hall, with Xelloss before her.   "Water!" gasped Filia. She looked down at her feet, and slippery water made the floor shine. She sighed, thinking that it was from the monsters that swam underwater from before. She was glad she was ok, but she still didn't exactly know what was going on with Xelloss. All she knew, was that whenever she touched him, she felt a strange power move into her.   Xelloss turned to look at her, and saw her thinking face. He looked at the gound, and knew he'd slip sooner or later.   "Watch your st--"   "YYYAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!" shrieked Filia. She slipped right onto Xelloss, and they fell rolling through the long, dark and falling hallway.   Filia felt the eerie power move into her body again. She stopped screaming, and grabbed Xelloss for support.   Xelloss cursed, and hit the floor hard, as they reached the end of the line.   "Owww..." mumbled the hurt dragon.   She opened her eyes painfully, and looked right into the eyes of Xelloss. His eyes were open, staring at her now blushed face.   Xelloss glared at her, and smiled. He knew that he was losing a huge amount of his power because of Filia. Which angered him, greatly. But-- as he looked at her young blushing face, he could feel his own turn hotter. He liked her, and it pained him to admit it to himself.   Filia was feeling uncomfortable, and stood up off the ground, still blushing.   Xelloss also stood, with his eyes still open. He then realized, that when he closed them, he couldn't see. The power vanished. And so did the power of disappearing.   "Xelloss... why are you staring at me...?" asked the blushing Filia. "And... why do your eyes have to be open...?"   "It's a necessity, now that I'm with you." he smiled evily, sending shivers down the dragon's spine.   She stepped back, and Xelloss still watched her. Why won't he stop?!?! It's getting annoying... and it's wasting their time....   "Please stop, Xelloss."   Stare.   "Xelloss!"   Stare.   "You're going over the line.."   Stare.   "Stop it!"   Glare.   "Xelloss!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"   The trickster smiled evily, and moved closer to the frightened Filia.   "Huh...?"   He was less than half a meter away, as he leaned over to her, with his evil eyes still glaring.   "Please---- don't...." stared Filia. Something inside of her wanted him to do something, but the other side of her was not as confident. She can't trust him, and she can't let him use her. And she was sure to tell him that.   Xelloss saw sorrow in the dragon's eyes, and he just smiled. His face was right infront of hers, and close enough to lose more power. He felt it, but didn't bother moving. He just whispered..   "Why the sorrow, Filia....?"   Filia lost her voice, and felt the power. The power that made her stronger, and the power that felt so wrong.   Xelloss took his right hand holding his staff, and moved closer to Filia, by sneeking his arm imbetween Filia's, and her waist.   With Xelloss' smirk, he looked from Filia, to behind her, and blasted a huge amount of energy behind her.   The loud noise cleared, leaving Filia's heart beating incredibly fast, and her lungs longing for air. She watched as Xelloss moved away from her, and walked towards his aim of an attack.   Glaring, unable to see with closed eyes, Xelloss looked at the crisps left over from the creatures he saw behind Filia. Well, ofcourse now their dead.   Filia finally noticed, and looked around for more bug-eyed creatures.   The room had blue walls, which were so light, and yet so dark... Light only came from the faint colour of Xelloss' staff, and Filia's glow which she created around her.   Filia felt wrong. She hung her head in depression, trying not to look at Xelloss. She felt it. She felt her care, and her admiration. A tear tickled her cheeck, as the bitter taste reached her mouth. Xelloss was right. Every monster has beauty, but you just have to find it, somewhere..... Even the deadliest might have some, but takes years to notice.... Even-- even Xelloss....   The sad monster looked at Filia. He saw her drop to the ground in quiet tears, and close her eyes miserably. His face faultered, and he wanted to comfort her, but knew it'd just make it worse. He slowly walked towards the wall before Filia, and knelt down to lean against it. With a moan, he sat down, and looked at the depressed dragon. 'Xellas.' he thought. 'You cursed me, because you knew she'd cry like this.' There's something else. Something she didn't want to tell me. But what.... and why now? Why did Xelloss have to hurt Filia now...   Another tear fell from Filia's eyes, as she slowly looked at the sad monster. Her eyes were innocent, and hurt, and only made Xelloss want to kill himself. He loved the pain he gave people. But this wasn't the pain he wanted to give. This wasn't it at all...   Filia saw Xelloss close his eyes, and cover his face with his hands, angry, and sad at the same time. She whiped her tears off of her face, and stood up.   "Xelloss!" she commanded.   Shocked at her change in mood, Xelloss looked up at her with wide, questioning eyes.   Filia knew Xelloss couldn't see with closed eyes anymore. She had to get used to it. Somehow....   "Even though we're having trouble. Even if we're feeling down, we have to fight these creatures! They're the only ones that caused this! Blame it on them, Xelloss! Blame it on them!!"   Xelloss just stared at her, shocked. He admired her courage, and nodded with determination.   So he's lost a few powers up his sleeve. That doesn't mean he can't fight his way out.   "We can do this!" smiled a courageouse Filia.   Xelloss smiled back, with his eyes still open. He searched himself, and knew which powers he'd lost. Not many... it'd have to take more than a few times to kill Xelloss. And he knew that he could kill these stupid bug-eyed things! Ofcourse, the winged ones as well.   "This, will be fun." he stated, holding up his hand.   Filia grabbed it hard, and shook his hand. She felt the power, and knew now, what exactly was going on. She knew that she'd gain power whenever she touched Xelloss. From where, was unknown to her, but she knew, that that would be the way to win this threat, and save their lives.

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