Slayers Fan Fiction ❯ Slayers Labyrinth ❯ Send in the Clones ( Chapter 8 )

[ P - Pre-Teen ]
Slayers Labyrinth
A Slayers/Labyrinth Crossover
By Sakura

Chapter Eight
Send in the Clones

Lina continued to walk further into the forest as if her newfound friend's disappearance meant nothing to her. But after several minutes of dead silence, she couldn't get rid of the feeling she was being watched. "Gourry?" she said in a somewhat subdued tone. Only the sound of the wind in the trees cared to answer her.
"Gourry!" she screamed, fearing that Xellos had found her again and was going to send something nasty like the Cleaners after her. She had no idea how right she was, though it wasn't the Mazoku King, but something so much worse. "What's with this place?!" Lina heard a twig snap somewhere and, panicking, the petite redhead ran deeper and deeper into the trees. Searching for any sign of the blond swordsman, she disregarded the fact that the farther she ran, the darker and thicker the trees got.
Suddenly, a tall black figure leapt out of the shadows behind the girl. "OHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHO!!!" it laughed, making its unusually large chest jiggle with each breath. Lina whirled around, took one look at the figure then screamed.

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Meanwhile, poor Zelgadis was still a wandering around the hedge maze, moping over his stolen money pouch. He wouldn't have cared much, but he hated the fact that a hot-tempered, spoiled, flat chested brat had managed to get close enough to steal it. 'Well, what did you expect, Zelgadis?' he asked himself, 'Try to be nice to someone and you'll only get grief in the end.'
Hearing a scream, he felt a pang of guilty as he imagined a certain red haired girl in danger. He turned from the path that led back to the labyrinth entrance and started off toward the scream. "Hold on Lina, I'm coming!" He sped around a corner and bumped straight into --
Xellos! "Oh, hello, Zadlegis," said the Mazoku King, the ever present cheerful smile plastered on his face.
"It's ZELGADIS!" said the rather irritated and surprised chimera.
"Why the rush Zel-kun, hmm?"
"Oh... um.. ah," he stalled, then pretended to have found something fascinating on the ground while desperately searching for a ruse the expert trickster would buy. Xellos was in no hurry, so he decided to let his servant stall a bit longer, amused at the chimera's sheepish behavior. "The, um, brat got away from me, and ah, I was just about to go after her. So, um, excuse me, your majesty."
The purple haired mazoku didn't budge. He opened his eyes and narrowed them a bit, the cheerful smile never leaving his face. He knew the chimera had lied. He'd been watching Lina ever since this whole affair began and knew exactly what was going on between the two. Still, it was more fun to watch his victims squirm a bit, not to mention yummy.
"I'll go bring her back to the start just like you wanted." Zelgadis was really worried now. He wanted the king to do something, hit him, yell at him, anything instead of
just floating there with that annoyingly cheerful smile on his face.
"Naru hodo (I see)," he said, "I was certain you were rushing off to her rescue like the knight in shining armor you are. But you're not foolish enough to do that now are you? Not after that nice little chat we had earlier."
The chimera gave a halfhearted chuckle. "Of course not. Why would I do something stupid like help her? She's a pathetically short, underdeveloped, violent, and rude shrew, which I'd be better off without."
Xellos landed in front of the chimera, a look of concern on his face. "Yare, yare, you poor dear," he said with mock pity, "You've lost all that lovely money of yours."
Zelgadis looked at his belt, following his liege's line of sight (get your minds outtta the gutter ppl!! Yeesh hentais.) "Hmm... looks like I have. It must've gotten snagged on a hedge somewhere. Guess I'll have to look for it, great," he said in the best surprised tone he could muster. "I have to go after her now, before she gets any closer to the castle. I'll see you back at the entrance."
He turned to walk away, but Mazoku King spoke again. "Chotto matte (Wait a sec), Zel-kun. I have a much more amusing idea. Why not give this to Lina-chan?" Xellos produced a crystal ball from his always-handy bag 'o' tricks and tossed it to Zelgadis.
As he caught it, it turned into an apple. The chimera eyed it carefully. "What's this?"
"Just a little gift," was Xellos' reply.
"It's not going to make her sick or anything is it?" Zelgadis asked, remembering all too well about a certain folk tale.
"Maa, maa, it sounds like you've got a crush on our little guest, Zel-kun," remarked the purple haired man.
"No I haven't. I just don't want her ghost coming back to haunt me for the rest of my life." He was in for it now. Xellos was sure to punish him for getting attached to HIS toy.
"Just give it to her, Stone Boy. That's all you need to do," the king said narrowing his eyes again.
The chimera gulped. "I'll give it to her if I know it won't hurt her," said Zelgadis, not understanding why he was being so stubborn. 'What's the difference, she'll only wind up dead sooner or later if she continues to stay here.'
"Yare, yare. You've really lost it, Zelly. What makes you think a kawaii little thing like Lina-chan would ever like a freakish creature like you?" Xellos said, tossing Zelgadis' misguided feelings towards his appearance into the chimera's face.
'I. WILL. NOT. CRY,' he scolded himself as he held back the tears in his eyes. After all these years, he was still touchy about his looks. "She said we were... Shimatta!" He had managed to stop the slip, but Xellos had already heard him.
"Koibito, Zel-kun?" his liege lord finished for him. "Was that it? Or friends perhaps?"
The chimera quickly pulled his hood over his head, wanting to hide the blush he knew was on his face. "I really don't care. I just want her out of my life," he said, gritting his teeth.
"Zelgadis," Xellos began. "You give her that apple or I'll give YOU to the you-know-what."
Zelgadis immediately blanched and bowed. "As you command, your majesty," he replied then attempted to run off again.
"By the way Zel-kun," came the Mazoku King's voice, "if Lina-chan ever kisses you I'll turn you back into a human and make you a prince," he said with a smile that would make a Chesire Cat nervous.
"Y-you will?" Zelgadis dared to ask.
"Prince of the Rabid Fangirls." The purple haired mazoku vanished, his maniacal laugh still hanging on the breeze.
The chimera looked at the red, juicy apple in his hand, trying his best not to cry. He wanted to lash out, scream, yell, and virtually blow the place to bits until he was nice and numb again, but he had an order to obey. Xellos never ever said his name right unless he was really serious. And this time he was dead serious. He had no choice but to do as what his master said or he'd be facing a fate worse than death.

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The figure that had frightened Lina was a creature known as a Naga clone. Not a truly evil being by nature, but these beings possessed a laugh so nerve-wracking that people ran and hid whenever they heard it. Babies cried and old women prayed to their gods to make it stop. One Naga clone was enough to drive a sober man to drink, but Naga clones tended to hang around in packs, which meant when one started to laugh, the others would join in, thus creating a stereo effect enough to drive anyone insane. This is how our heroine found herself. Lost in a dark forest with a pack of ten of the most feared creatures in the labyrinth.
Taking a good look at the creatures, she saw that they all had the same long black hair and were wearing the skimpiest bikini tops of black leather and equally skimpy biker shorts, decorated with skull ornaments. What struck her as odd was that they all looked like an older version of Amelia.
"Wha-what do you want?" the poor girl asked, backing up against a tree.
"OHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHO!" the first clone laughed.
"Ahh!! Yamero! (Stop!!)" Lina yelled at the top of her lungs. Surprisingly enough, the Nagas did.
"Oh dear, sorry about that, little boy," apologized Naga #2.
"I'm a girl, damn it! Why does everyone always have to think I'm a guy?!"
A third clone came up to the redhead and looked at her chest area VERY closely. "Are you sure? I can't see anything."
Another Naga clone joined her sister and did a hands-on inspection of Lina's chest. "Oi! Dame!!! Ecchi!!!!" The petite girl batted at the hands feeling her up, blushing bright red. Squirming she was able to get away from the Naga clones only to have her only way of escape blocked by yet another of the creatures.
"She's a girl all right," reported Naga #4.
The first Naga, after discussing Lina's measurements with the others, started to laugh again, but got kicked in the shins by the now fully embarrassed and angry redhead. "That wasn't very nice," whimpered Naga #1.
"You call THAT a chest?!" Naga #2 thrust her extremely ample chest in the petite sorceress' face. "Now THIS is a chest," she said proudly.
"Just look at how nice and round it is," said a fifth clone, caressing her chest.
"And bouncy," piped up Naga #3, then laughed.
By then, poor Lina had had enough of the clones and when she saw an opening, she ran for it like a hundred Lunas were at her tail. "Hey! Come back!" called one of the Nagas. "You haven't heard about my chest's best quality!" cried another.
"I don't care! I'm outta here!" she yelled over her shoulder, running as fast as she could.

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Back at the castle, Xellos was watching Lina in one of his many crystal balls and having the time of his life. Baby Amelia was sitting comfortably on the Mazoku King's lap. Suddenly, the girl's face filled the ball, causing Amelia to gurgle in delight. She reached out to pat Lina's face. Whe she couldn't touch her 'neechan's face, Amelia made a puzzled sound. Thinking it was one of the games she had been playing with the purple haired man, the baby went back to happily playing 'patty-cake' with the mazoku who had been in charge of diaper duty.
"Mite (Look), Lina-chan," he said holding onto Amelia. "Is this what you're looking for?" Amelia reached for her sister again and he chuckled. "Such a big fuss over such a little thing."
Putting the crystal away, he conjured a baby bottle and gave it to the baby who happily accepted it. "Well, don't worry little one, you'll be going home to your mama soon enough," Xellos said watching baby Amelia enjoy her meal. "Your nasty neechan will forget all about you as soon as Zel-kun gives her my present. Then my dear Lina-chan, you'll be all mine."
The king's laughter startled the mazoku in the throne room and they stopped whatever it was they were doing. Outside in the halls, various mazoku paused in their duties, wondering what it was that made their master laugh so much.
A tiny pang of guilt sparked in Xellos' heart, but he quickly pushed it away. He needed Lina for his plan to get an heir. He decided that kidnapping someone else's kid wasn't going to work out because most babies had a strange connection with their birth mothers. Besides he had no idea whatsoever how to raise a baby. That is why he needed the girl, and trickery was the only way he'd get her to cooperate.
Sighing, he went back to monitoring Lina's progress.

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Meanwhile, Lina had run into a humongous wall and was now thoroughly trapped in the herd of Naga clones. she screamed as they laughed and pointed at her, making various comments about her chest size all the while. Hot tears began to fall from her eyes. "It's not fair!" she cried, "Why did I have to have such a small body?!" As one of the Nagas began to advance on her, the red haired girl screamed.
As if by magic, a rope ladder appeared, offering the frantic Lina escape. Looking up, she saw a familiar face - Zelgadis'.
"Hurry and climb up!" he called.
Nodding, Lina climbed the ladder and scrambled onto the top of the wall. The chimera quickly threw his end over the side, causing a couple of the clones to fall with it.
"Good riddance," he spat dusting off his hands.
"Y-you came back!" the petite girl cried, ecstatic. "I knew you'd come help me! Arigatou, Zel!"
With that, Lina threw her arms around the chimera's neck and pulled his head down, closer to hers.
"Lina, please... don't," he begged. He didn't like where this was going and he knew Xellos would make good on his threats.
But the redhead paid him no attention and -
SMOOCH!
A very loud kiss landed on his cheek and then they felt the earth move. (It opened up under them!! Stop being so ecchi minna!!! Yeesh!)

*****

Sakura: Waaaaaahhhhh! Only two or three more parts to go and I'm done. I wanna play with Zel some more!!!!!

Lina: Sakura-san! How could you sic Naga on me! And what was with the chest comments?! I thought you liked me! ;_;

Sakura: I do Lina-chan. I had to do that for the sake of the plot. Anyway, quit griping. Naga's not gonna come back.

Zel: Yokatta. That laugh is just too much.

Xel: BTW Sakura-chan, how'd you get those two to behave long enough for the kiss scene?

Sakura: Jealous, Xel?

Xel: No. Just curious. ^_^

Lina: She threatened us.

Zel: She said she'd sic Luna on her. (eg)

Lina: Hey you were shaking just as much as I was. You're the one with ecchi pics of Firia.

Zel: GAK!!

Firia: N-NANI!

Sakura: Uh-oh! She's gonna blow! Hit the deck guys!

Firia: Zel-san! H-how could you?! (clobbers him with her mace)

Sakura: Yare, yare. Excuse me while I clean up. Jya ne minna! Remember these two simple things 1) Ecchi pics are excellent blackmail material and 2) Same bat time, same bat channel! ^_-

Xel: Next time I finally to have a lot more fun with Lina-chan! ^_^

Sakura: XELLOS!!!!! GIVE ME THOSE NOTES!!!!!

C&C always welcome at Firia@linainverse.net. Come on minna! You guys haven't been writing much. So pleeeeeeaaaaaaase tell me what you think! I'd looooooove to hear from you. ^_^