Xelloss stood on a feild of destruction. Rocks flew past her body as she stared up into the blood red sky. Her connection to the Great Beast Lord was severed, and all around her, the other Socerers were swirling away in the darkness. She felt her own hands beginning to vanish, but as she looked above her, she caught sight of a beautiful woman sorrounded by a torrent of gold. "Are you the Messiah? Please! Help us! Don't go!"
The golden woman turned and responded. "Zzzzzzzzzz...."
Xelloss opened her eyes and poked Amelia until she woke up.
Slypheel looked at Xelloss with concern. "Is anything wrong, Xelloss?"
Lina sighed. "Don't get so worked up, Sypheel. She was probably just having a bad dream."
The priestess nodded. "Something like that..."
Amelia began to giggle. "I had a weird dream too! I fell down while giving a speech about penance at a local prison, and they had to take me to the hospital! When I got there, I found out Zelgadis was in the bed next to me for having fallen down too! Isn't that weird?"
Lina winced. "Amelia, you are just too weird right after you've woken up."
"I am not!"
"We really don't have time to argue." Sylpheel blushed as they all turned their gazes to her. "I mean, shouldn't we be studying? We do have an important test... well... that is..."
Lina leaned over the table, a teasing smile on her lips. "Exactly. Did you do well on your math test, Amelia?"
Amelia turned very red. "I didn't get much studying done... I kinda had a date with Zelgadis... but..."
"Oh, no. Amelia!"
"Sorry, Sypheel."
Gourry waved her hand. "No big deal. We can catch up later. No use crying over dropped pudding."
Lina blinked. "There's plenty a use in that. Someone'll take pity on a cute girl crying and get you another one that way."
"Lina! Should you really do that?"
Xelloss sighed and gazed out the shrine window.
In a dark lab a sillhoutted figure seemed to wait. Bits of red were all that could be seen of his figure in the dim light. "Eris! I need to speak with you!"
A darkly outlined figure stepped up to the shadowed man. "Yes, Proffessor Rezo?"
"Take this." His shadowy hand reached out a dropped a piece of red glass in Eris' palm. "It is a Koppii stone. It will find and attack those humans who have pure hearts."
Eris looked confused. "Pure hearts, Professor Rezo?"
The professor sat down. "Allow me to explain. We are on a mission to find the Demonsblood Talismans that will bring us the Ruby Eye of Shabranigdo, which we can destroy the world with. But the Demonsblood Talismans are ironically hidden inside those who have pure hearts."
Eris nodded. "I understand, Professor. I will get to work right away on finding our first target."
Amelia kneeded her fingers into her skirt, biting down on her lip as trudged down the street. "I can't believe I flunked another test. What will daddy say? And Naga will never let me hear the end of this... But worse yet, if Xelloss finds out, she'll tease me about it for weeks!"
"Ow!"
Amelia looked up to see who she had just ran into. "Oh no! Xelloss! I'm sorry!"
Xelloss smiled gently. "I really don't mind. I mean, all you did was shove me to the ground, make me cut my hands on this hard pavement, and get dirt all over my uniform."
"Ahh! Xelloss! I'm really, really, really sorry!"
Xelloss smiled again at her friend before picking up Amelia's test. "My, my, Amelia. Did we forget to study again?"
Amelia pouted and tried not to cry. "I didn't forget! I studied really hard!"
"Don't worry. There's more to life than just studying."
Amelia cracked open one eye and looked at Xelloss skeptically. "You're an evil imposter, aren't you?"
Xelloss fell over. "Geez, I just try to be nice..."
Amelia sat down on the curb beside Xelloss. "You haven't been yourself though, latley. What's wrong? Ooh! Do you have a boyfriend?"
"What?!" Xelloss paused. "No... it's just... what do you want to be when your older, Amelia?"
"Well, I will be a champion of justice forever, and a bride... and a lady.. but I really can't say more then that. A definate career? I really have none in mind." She tapped her chin. "What about you, Xelloss?"
"I will be a priestess for the Chaos Lord."
"Do you want to be a bride, too?"
"A bride? I really don't think marriage suits me. I prefer being able to go after whoever I want, whenever I want!"
"You should take love more seriously!"
"Who's talking? Besides, you can't say anything until you take school more seriously!"
"That was harsh!" Amelia began to whimper.
"Don't worry. School is just not your area. You're a great leader, a fine warrior, and a good-hearted person. It's all you need to be."
Amelia watched as Xelloss walked away. "You're suspicious, Xelloss. But thank you."
Eris watched the parting girls from behind a wall. "A caring friend... This will be the one."
Amelia sat nervously beside Zelgadis as he looked over her test. She could see his fingers digging into the arm rests of his wheel chair. "Ameko..."
"Yes?"
"This is terrible!"
"It's not my fault! We've been so busy with fighting that even though I went to study group with the girls every night, I still had no time to complete anything! And I was too distracted and worried during classes to pay attention! You can hardly blame me!"
Zelgadis sighed. "Still, I think until you are caught up, we shouldn't go anywhere together."
"Zelgadis!"
"I won't be resposibly for your poor grades, Ameko. I'm sorry."
Amelia watched sadly and Zelgadis wheeled away. "Darn."
Xelloss sat in the temple and looked up at the stars. "Great Beast Lord, what was yesterday's dream? Could it be just that I am not used to a quiet life?" A wolf howeled far off int he distance. "Great Beast, I pray for my friends happiness and safety."
"Tiiba!"
Xelloss whirled around to a see a giant chicken standing behind her. "What? What is this?!"
"Tiiba! I'm here for your pure heart!"
"Is it another beserker? Is the Dark Phantom back?"
"Give me your pure heart that has hopes for your friends!"
"Koppii Tiiba! Hurry! Hurry and find the talisman!"
Xelloss stared at the white clothed woman. "Who are you?"
Amelia plodded up the stairs to the temple. "I don't want to be here, Milgazia. I want to be on a date with Zelgadis."
Milgazia twitched his tale. "You have to study Amelia. How else shall you rule the planet in the future?"
"I'll hire people."
"Amelia!"
Amelia laughed. "I'm kiddng Milgazia. I know it's important, it's just... Milgazia! That was Xelloss' scream!"
Milgazia nodded. "Transform, I'll contact the others!"
"Moon Giga Power!"
Xelloss struggeled to free herself from the giant chicken. "Let go!"
"You heard her! Now put her down! I am a champion of justice! How could you attack a pure hearted young woman? On behalf of the moon and for justice, I'll smite you with the moon power! I am Sorcerer Moon!"
"A pure heart? Then I have the right target! Tiiba!"
Lina, Gourry and Sylpheel ran towards the temple and stood gaping at the Koppii chicken.
Lina growled. "We'd better transform! Jupiter Giga Power!"
"Venus Giga Power!"
"Mercury Giga Power!"
Sorcerer Moon kicked angrily, trying to free herself from the chicken. In it's other wing, she could see Xelloss was giving up the fight. "Xelloss! Please hang on!"
Suddenly, a dark blue rose sailed through the air and cut deeply across Tiiba's beak.
"Sorcerer Moon! Hurry up!"
"Masked Chimera! Yes!" Sorcerer Moon began to chant. "Giga crystal, lend me your power... Moon.... Princess... Damnation!"
Tiba thrust out a wing and the white magic attack disappated.
"What?! No way! That's just not fair! You can't do that! I'm suposed to always win!"
Tiiba growled, and with a violent swing of his feathers the Slayers and Masked Chimera were on the ground, nearly unconcious. "Now I can continue."
Sorcer Moon watched from the ground as Tiiba approached Xelloss. "Stop it... stop it!" Her eyes widened in horror as Tiiba extracted a glowing crystal from Xelloss' chest. "Leave her alone!"
"Your a great leader, a fine warrior, and a good-hearted person. It's all you need to be."
Tears formed in Sorcerer Moon's eyes. "STOP IT!!!" A white flash of light radiated from her and in an instant, Tiiba had disintigrated. Sorcerer Moon ran towards Xelloss and cried. "Xelloss, Xelloss please get up! Can you hear me?"
Two shaded figures approached and picked up the crystal that came from Xelloss. "The one with aqua hair looked at it first. "This isn't it."
The other with blond hair took it from the first. "No... it isn't. Unfortunate." She looked at the crying Sorecer Moon. Gracefully she tossed the crystal at them. "She'll need that."
The Slayers watched surprised as the two strange women dispeared.
"Xelloss! Wake up!"
Xelloss' amethyst eyes fluttered open. "I'm awake. Hoe kind of you to hold me like this."
Sorcerer Moon blinked. "Xelloss! Your awful!" She hugged Xelloss close. "Please, don't ever get hurt like that again!"
Eris glowered at the broken Koppii stone in her hand. "I am so sorry, Professor. I have failed you."
The man waved his hand carelessly. "We will get the talisman next time. And do away with the intereference."
Milgazia licked at his golden paws. "Ceiphied, who are those people?"
The white cat looked up. "Which? The attackers, or the other two who looked like Slayers."
"Either."
Cephied shook his head and began to ran after Gourry. "I'll look into it. Good luck, Milgazia!"
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