In a Dark dark place, there was a dark dark room.
In the dark dark room, there was a dark dark throne.
On the dark dark throne, was a dark dark monster.
And the dark dark monster was...

...a little boy.

At least, that was the form he preferred to keep. He had some early ideas about being a dashing young man with russet hair and flashing eyes, or a sinister twisted old man, mysterious and brooding. Perhaps a pale slender woman, beautiful and frightening? No... how boring.

Speaking of boredom, the little boy was fidgeting around in his seat, and kicking his legs with a frustrated pout on his cherubic face. He tossed back his blonde head in frustration, his blue eyes, impatient.

"Why hasn't she come yet!!!???" he cried out and was answered only by echoes. His mouth then screwed into a pathetic grimace, as he stared at his shoes.

"Its because she doesn't WANT me to have friends! She doesn't care! I can be lonely forever, and nobody will care!"

Knee-deep in self pity, his crystal-blue eyes shed a few bitter tears of overreaction. His ears then heard a familiar "Clunk... clunk," from the corridor. The boy's gloom suddenly fell from him as he sat up cheerfully.

"Is that her!?" he cried ecstatically, grinning from ear to ear.

Team Gigaworks Presents: Slayers ENCORE (Son of Lina Inverse)
Chapter 3 “NEMESIS! ”
(a boy and his toys)

Slayers and all related characters and elements are copyright H. Kanzaka / R. Araizumi and are used without permission, Klonnoa is copyright of NAMCO. Okay, some of these characters are technically not violating copyright law but the attorneys will have a big messy hissy fit in our faces. But I DON’T CARE!! THEY’RE OURS!! WHATCHA GONNA DO?? CRY ABOUT IT!??!
[Also my apologies to everyone concerned for my horrid little bit of poetry at the beginning. (sigh) Gomenasai -_-;;]

Klonnoa walked ahead of Xellos and 'the freaky wooden chick', as she had come to call her (not aloud, of course). After a moment, she asked, “Are we there YET?"

Xellos sighed. This had to be, at LEAST, the millionth time she'd asked that.

"I think so..." he answered, getting a little nervous about this meeting. Xellos happened to know what the little runt could do when angry, and the one thing he DIDN'T want was a Mazoku kid throwing a temper tantrum. That would end with getting punished by the Master. He walked up to Klonnoa and whispered in her ear, "TRY to at LEAST follow the plan somewhat, okay?"

Klonnoa rolled her eyes, "Sure, sure. Whatevah ya say, Xellos. Hey... is that him?" she pointed at the blond boy. Xellos nodded.

"Yep." He gave the boy a sweeping bow and said, "Morning!" Klonnoa nodded her head.

"Nice ta meetcha. I'm Klonnoa." She was mentally growling, I HATE this place... too dark... she shuddered, looking around nervously. She didn't like the dark because it reminded her of her old master. She suddenly felt very scared, but wasn't about to give Xellos the pleasure of soaking it up like a sponge. So, she asked boldly, grinning, "So... what do ya wanna do first, Master?"

The small blonde boy smiled pleasantly at Kloa-chan... which made him a little scarier.

"I like you." he said sincerely, his blue eyes sparkling.
"I can tell we're going to be the best of friends... I can tell these things about people, right Galatea?"

Galatea nodded, perhaps with more enthusiasm than was needed.

The boy then turned on Xellos, with a sour scowl on his face.

"I DON'T like YOU! NO BOWING!!" he shouted, flushed with anger. His perfect cherry lips were pouting, and his brows furrowed charmingly... however, what would have looked adorable on a normal boy made this boy perfectly terrifying.

Xellos flinched at the boy's harsh tone. "Sorry..." he grumbled, standing and pouting slightly.

"I HATE grown-ups... they're always bowing and groveling and saying 'my lord'.... and they never want to have fun with me."

The boy glared at Xellos, who suddenly doubled over. Whatever he was doing to Xellos, it certainly wasn't comfortable, as the blue eyes stared fixedly on his victim. Xellos’s eyes opened wide as he clenched his teeth, clutching his stomach as body-splitting pain shot through his body.

Klonnoa glanced over at Xellos, feeling like she should help, but she was unable to move, for her legs felt as though they were made of jelly.

The boy then released his prey and yawned, letting Xellos drop to his hands and knees.

"But I suppose you MUST stay.” said the Boy in a bored drawl. “You can keep Galatea company if you like," he remarked dryly.

Xellos stood after a moment and said, wincing, "I'll... do that..." He then cast Klonnoa a worried look and walked off, leaving Klonnoa to stare after him with a panicked expression on her face.

"Just don't get in our way!" the boy called menacingly after Xellos. He then grabbed Klonnoa's hand and smiled sweetly at her.

"What's your name again? Mine is Puppito!" he cried with all the seeming innocence of a six-year-old boy.

His perfect pearly teeth, dimpled rosy cheeks, and long fair lashes made his deep blue eyes seem weird and out of place. Klonnoa smiled. The kid was cute, she had to admit, but still a little... scary.

"I'm Klonnoa," she said, pondering what she would do to Xellos if she didn't survive this encounter. She mentally sighed. Xellos... you OWE me... BIG time... she thought, smiling at the Mazoku's cheerfulness.

"So,” she heard herself say, “whatcha wanna do first, Puppito?"

******

Galatea and Xellos went to a smaller room on the left side of the throne room. Xellos following behind her at a bit of a distance. Whether it was her wooden movement, her tinny voice or her permanent smile, she was really freaking him out!

Galatea’s room was quite charming. It was small and Xellos had a difficult time maneuvering between the furniture, but it was cheerful, with bright yellow wall paper, and a friendly fire crackling in a little iron stove. Her bed was made up like a small sofa, and Xellos was offered a seat as Galatea clunked to the stove. Everything was newly dusted, ironed and starched and the hardwood floors shone with a new coat of wax. It was almost a little too tidy. Either Galatea didn’t entertain except for special occasions, or she wasn’t human enough to make a mess.

*squeak* Galatea slowly turned her head 180 degrees to look directly at Xellos. She said most cheerfully, "Would you like some tea?"

Xellos blanched. This inhuman gesture bothered him more than he would have thought possible. There was also something very uncanny in her expression, even if it was exactly the same as it had always been. Xellos wondered if there was more to her than a mere puppet.

"Sure." Xellos replied nervously. He shuddered at the sight, trying not to stare.

"Oh!... this will be most delightful." she said as she quickly adjusted her head another 180 degrees completing the 360. She mechanically retrieved a darling rose-spray tea set from the stove top and set it mathematically on a tray with two cups and saucers, a cream jug, a sugar bowl and tongs, with equal precision.

Xellos cautiously sat up in his seat. "This is... uh... quite a quaint little room you have here"

"Thanks. The master has the rest... he deserves it. It is only right that he has the rest... one lump or two?" Galatea said more cheerful than necessary and the permanent smile still on the face.

"None... it's bad for my system" he said.

Galatea then arched backwards with the tray perfectly balanced on her stomach.

“Here you are,” she said with the same painted smile.

Xellos grabbed the cup of tea little faster than etiquette would have permitted.

"Thanks," he muttered, a little distractedly.

Galatea then moved under the table grabbed her tea and arched back up and took a sip.

"mmmm,” she said artificially. She sat daintily on a flowery ottoman and took another sip. Xellos could hear the tea running down her throat and splash into a cavernous artificial stomach, like water down a drain.

Xellos recovered his dignity and asked casually, "So... would you mind telling me what your master has planned?"

******

The Voluntary Town Guards of Glistle (VTGG) bit their nails and tapped their boots nervously as they surrounded the inn. The Dancing Cockroach was normally such a joyous spot for the blue-collar workers, at least, it normally it was. Inside, though, was the most notorious bandit in the country.

All of them were nervous. Except for one.

The captain was hidden beneath his cloak and hood. The weathered green mantle cast what little could be seen of his face in ominous shadow. And the shadows seemed more fearsome than the threat inside the inn.

"Keep three guards at the front," said the captain, "two at the rear entrance, and a third by the kitchen door. The rest, follow me."

He proceeded through the barroom, where every large man and hung-over woman put down their darts and dropped their chips. The cloaked captain had already reached the stairs to the rooms and practically flew up them. His long stride stopped only at the end of the hall, before room 12.

"Remember," he said to the guards, motioning them to draw their swords, "Do not let appearances deceive you. She's not called the Midnight Thorn for nothing."

A young Lieutenant looked up, confused, at the Capt.

"Uh sir... that makes no sense... I mean... her appearance has nothing to do with Midnight Thorn! Now, I guess, if her name was the Chameleon that would make sense, and you could warn us that ‘her appearances could be deceiving’... ‘because she hides like a Chameleon’, and you could say ‘They don't call her the Chameleon for nothing...’ and that would be clever... but her name isn't the chameleon, it-"

"Lieutenant?"

"Yes sir?

Shut up.


*****


"Aww... do really gotta meet those weirdoes?" moaned Val.

The boys were running an errand for Aunt Luna and they would leave town later that afternoon.

"We told them that we'd meet them at ‘The Dancing Cockroach’ in the morning, and that's what we're going to do," said Sol honorably.

"I thought we'd only said that so they'd go away."

"Why would we want that?" asked Sol innocently.

"Well Duuuuhhhhhhhh!" quipped Val. "They'll just be fifth wheels!"

"You mean-uh..... fifth... sixth... and seventh wheels right?"said Sol using his fingers.

"You're going to make me regret teaching you how count by the end of this, aren't you."

"Val, what's a fifth wheel?"

Just at that moment, they happened to be passing outside the "Dancing Cockroach" where they saw hundreds of troopers positioned outside, stationed behind their coaches, crossbows cocked and at the ready. All around the inn a large crowd was forming. Val and Sol tried to get a better look by climbing under legs, but when they managed to get close, a large official-looking guy stopped them.

"Sorry boys, but this area is restricted. I'm gonna have to ask you exit the perimeters."

"What's going on?" asked Sol.

"I'm afraid I'm not at liberty to reveal that we have cornered a dangerous criminal and are now attempting to capture her. Now go away."

".............

........Riiiiiiight."


"A dangerous criminal, huh?" said Sol, thinking out loud.
"Well I hope Midnight Thorn is okay."

"Hm" said Val as they walked to the Dry-goods Store.


They've surrounded the inn, she thought, glancing out of her room's window at the soldiers below with narrowed eyes. It looks like Midnight Thorn will have to fight her way out...

Midnight Thorn grabbed her few belongings and sword, then paused to glance outside the window again. Her heart sank into her stomach. She might be good, but there were so many of them. How would she get out? It seemed impossible.

A light bulb flashed. Maybe if she used a disguise... Rummaging in her pack, she found a large, but torn cloak, a blue-haired wig, how did that get there?, a very dirty pink dress that almost looked brown and a basket of apples nani? O_o...

She quickly put on the wig, dress and cloak, and looked in the mirror to check that she did not look like herself. Most of her face and her eye patch were hidden under the cloak. All right!! All set! Let's go!

Slowly, she opened the door and stepped out into the corridor, gently closing the door behind her. The soldiers outside stared suspiciously at her.

"W-would you like to buy an apple, sir? My apples are very good! I sold quite a few to the nice lady in the room," she said, pointing towards the room she just exited.

****

[Editor PT: Meng, what's with the blue lines?]
{Editor Meng: She’s in disguise, silly!}
[Editor PT: Ah.]

****


"Is that 'lady' still inside the room?" asked the soldier quickly.

Midnight Thorn pretended to think carefully before she nodded her head. "I think so, sir. She seemed to enjoy my apples very much. Um... with your permission, good sirs, could I leave now? I still have quite a few apples to sell, and if I don't finish selling them, my mom and dad will scold me."

The guards all nodded in approval, glad to see a young girl making a living for herself. And not an easy one at that. They turned their attention back to the door.

But the captain wasn't at ease yet. He stroked his cleanly shaven chin a moment, watching the girl move towards the stairs.

The cloaked captain drew his sword from the scabbard as easily as blinking and twice as fast. Jaws hit the floor as the Captain took a fencing lunge straight at the girl's head....

And were astonished by the blue wig, gently pulled of with the sword tip. Standing an inch away from the razor-sharp steel was the Midnight Thorn, pink hair and all.

The captain tossed the wig away and brought his weapon close to him, ready for anything.

"So what will it be, Bandit?"

******

Thieves? Local Guard? Potentially high danger? Only one thing for a pair of young boys to do:
Go check it out!

"The question," Sol muttered to himself, "is how."

He sized up the two guards standing by while digging through his mental arsenal of spells. The perfect one came to mind.

"Stand back, Val, I'm not going to hold back on these two."

“This oughtta be good.” Val sniffed.

Sol approached the armed guard innocently and sweetly... before snapping his eyes shut and clutching his gloved together tight. His brow furrowed and his forearms began to shake. The guards looked on intensely.

Sol felt the words trickle into his mind one by one, and he voiced them out loud to magnify the spell.

"Stellarum, Lunarum, Sollum..." He took a breath and added, with zeal and volume, "LUX!!!"

{Editor Meng: What?}
[Editor PT: Lighting Spell.]

Sol flung his arms apart and hovering before his face was an orb of light the size of a tennis ball. Not all that impressive, but the guards were taken by surprise by the sudden brightness. They rubbed their eyes, and Sol pushed his way towards the inn.

Val followed Sol through the open gap in authority, shrugging. He felt that he ought to have said something, but his snappy retorts were running low today.

"Dang." he muttered, angrily.

They managed to make it to the front door of the inn with no difficulty. However, they were still debating how to get inside, and STAY there, unnoticed.

"plan eleven,” whispered Val unobtrusively.

"Aw no! Not plan eleven!!!!" whined Sol

"Plan eleven or eat scum and die!" Val retorted and smiled to himself ...that was a good one ^_^

"But I can't hold still for that long!!!"

"So take breaks when they aren't looking!!"

"HOW CAN I TELL IF THEY'RE NOT LOOKING WHEN MY FACE IS COVERED!!??"

"Do it."

"grrrr......errrrgh... i hate plan eleven," Sol muttered and kicked air.

Slipping in the front door, the boys plundered the cloak rack and found two large cloaks of sufficient gaudy patterns. Then each boy draped a cloth over himself, squatted, and put his arms out.

The result was two small, lumpy-looking armchair-disguises that allowed them to shuffle around the room unnoticed.

"It hurts!!!" said the smaller armchair, that was wobbling slightly.

"Armchairs don't talk, stupid." said the larger one and bopped the smaller one with his "arm rest."

"Bandit?!! Where?!! Help! I'm afraid of bandits!!" Midnight Thorn exclaimed hysterically, hoping to carry off her disguise a while longer, even though her wig was already off and everyone could see her eye-patch clearly.

“Look men!” yelled the Captain. “Her lines are PINK!!!”

Seeing that the soldiers were unconvinced despite her excellent acting, Midnight Thorn cursed her distinctive speech and swept off her long cloak, once again in her tattered garb. She then drew her sword and prepared to attack the Captain of the guards.

"You've made a big mistake by not killing me immediately," she said, her eyes glinting. "However, I won't make the same mistake. Prepare to meet your end, foul villain!"

Puzzled, the soldiers glanced around to see where the 'foul villain' was, while a vein bulged in the Captain's forehead. "She's trying to distract us!" he roared. "Don't listen to her!"

Distraction? Say, that's a good idea, thought Midnight Thorn. "Look! A walking sofa!!" she shouted, pointing randomly.

The captain laughed derisively.
"Ha! You don't fall for that three times in your life. GET HER!!"

"You won’t take me without a fight" cried Midnight Thorn as she jumped nimbly out of the way of the soldiers, while raining blows on their heads. "Even if you, captain-- Wha--?"

It seemed that the female bandit had just gotten a good look at the captain of the guards.

"DADDY?!!!!"

........

........

Stunned by her exclamation, the soldiers exchanged glances, totally bewildered.

The Captain stood rooted to the ground for a moment in sheer panic and bewilderment. Those are the words a man NEVER wants to hear from a strange teenager.

Sheathing her sword momentarily, Midnight Thorn jumped up to the captain and threw her arms around him.

"Daddy? What are you doing here?!!"

"Daddy?.... What daddy?... Daddy who?... Daddy what?... What?" The Captain was shaken to say the least.

"Oh! Sorry. I was mistaken. You look a lot like my daddy, that's all."

With that, she dropped him like a ton of bricks and starting prancing down the stairs, three at a time.

The captain’s face darkened suddenly as he felt every shred of anger rise to his face (which was now a lovely shade of purple).

“youuuuuu....”

There was only a wooden guardrail separating the upper floor from the ground floor lobby. The Captain jumped it, landing roughly on the hardwood twenty feet below. In a few steps, he would be at the front door, cutting off Midnight's retreat. Her odds looked grim.

...or they would have, if the Captain had ever reached the door. Instead he tripped over a tiny armchair. Or did it trip him?

Either way, the Captain made a sickening "crack" sound on the stone doorstep.

Val threw off his disguise and pointed to an open window.

"Hey, Thorn! Get Outta here!" he cried

Thorn took his advice and sprang for the window, like a cat, over the unconscious captain of the guards. She paused at the window to blow Val a kiss.

"Thanks, kid. Ja Ne!"

And with that she was gone. The remainder of the Guards either followed her out of the window or out the door accidentally trampling their beloved captain.

Val heaved a sigh of relief as he was quite exhausted by the whole affair, and he had gotten a weird tingly feeling when Thorn looked at him. He didn't like it. He slumped into a nearby chair and ran a hand through his hair, irritably.

"Hey, Val.... can I move now?" said the chair he was sitting on.

Val suddenly realized another dilemma.

"Hey Sol... how do we get outta here quick, without anyone suspecting us?"

"Hmmm.....That'll be kinda hard since you blew our cover." said Sol, thinking hard. He also trembled under the weight.

Val's brow furrowed, as he absentmindedly kicked the Captain's head as it lay motionless on the floor.

The hood fell of the swirly-eyed captain’s head. He was in his early forties, had graying temples, and short, black curly hair. His face was scarred, but still handsome and wolfish. His tan was also the envy of the town, no doubt.

For a real change it was Sol who said, "How 'bout plan 13?"

Val brightened up.

"Sol, if I weren't so cool, I'd kiss you." That was the highest praise he could give. And he meant it too. "So get cracking."

“um, can you get off me first?”

“Sure.”

With the throw-over off his head, Sol looked as if he were concentrating very hard; a rare event. He did this for several minutes and then gasped in despair.

'No good. Won't come."

"Try staring at something without blinking. " Suggested Val.

"..............Uh-uh." Sol shook his head.

"Hmm well... Hey Sol, come here for a sec."

"Okay, what is-OW!!!!!"

Val, taking advantage of his friends trusting nature, had poked two fingers in his lei's buddy's eyes. Sol, the dignified nine-year-old that he was, started bawling shamelessly. Tears descended in a deluge, as Val steered his small companion through the door past a forest of adults.

"Excuse me... sorry... pardon me.... crying kid, coming through."

Sol, in the meantime had managed to get into the act and (as dictated in plan 13) wailed,

"MOMMY!!! WAHHHH! I WANT MY MO-O-O-O-OMM-Y-Y-Y-Y!!"

Sure it was degrading, and humiliating, and aggravating to have adults pet him on the head. BUT they got free candy from seven different people, and managed to get out undetected, and back to Aunt Luna's.

They only realized what they overlooked when Aunt Luna asked for the milk they had been sent to fetch. They looked at each other and grinned a little sheepishly.

"Oops," said Sol as he sucked on his Lollipop.

*****

Sol sucked on the sucker till it dwindled down to a twisted piece of cardboard. Only after he tied it into a soggy pretzel did something strike him as peculiar.

"Hey Val... Didn't that captain guy look kind of familiar?"

Val cocked his head slightly.

*****

Meanwhile:

Captain Zangulas of the Glistle City Guard rubbed his pounding head and valiantly crawled to the window Midnight Thorn had vanished through. He gave up after three and a half steps.

"I'll get you, Mid-"

He collapsed and trickled to his knees again, his roguish chin landing on the hardwood floor. He was out cold, yet again.

******

Klonnoa was standing on a wooden plank, tied up... but worse, in a frilly pink dress and a blonde wig. Even the mob of angry pirates advancing on her with malice in their eyes, and stubble on their chins, were not nearly as horrible as that rose-colored monstrosity with satin ruffles and puffed sleeves. The sharks swimming underneath her were a tie.

"Don't worry, Miss Daphne! I'll save you!" came a high-pitched voice from above her.

On the top beam of the mainsail, with a dagger in his teeth was a pint-sized blonde buccaneer.

"Say your line!!" whispered Puppito coaxingly!

"....."

"You're supposed to say, 'Oh Rolland! Help Help! Rescue me.' "

The pirates seemed to be waiting for Kloa-chan as well and lowered their swords and relaxed their scowling faces.

Klonnoa clenched her teeth and thought,
I will not kill him, I will not kill him... I will kill XELLOS!!

Then she said in her best, 'help, I'm in danger!' voice, "'Oh Rolland! Help Help! Rescue me!"

She then started to ponder what kind of horrible things she could do to Xellos if she lived through this. Maybe I'll sing, "Life Is Wonderful" or maybe even launch into a Justice speech!! she mentally grinned as she imagined Xellos under her foot as she sung songs about love and justice to him.

The Pirates, evidently satisfied with her performance, started advancing on her again, resuming their dramatic growls and "arrr's."

"Rolland" took the Dagger from his teeth, and sunk the blade into the mainsail, he then jumped off the beam letting the dragging dagger, trailing in the canvas, slow his fall. He landed on the deck elegantly, and proceeded to fight back all of the pirates, quite impressively.

He fought like a hero! No deaths for him, he merely disarmed his enemies and 'taught them a lesson!' He turned his head to Kloa-chan to show off a dazzling smile and then back to business. After an entertaining battle, Puppito (I’m sorry, "Rolland") was the victor over the swarthy sea-dogs.

He leaped up to Kloa-chan and cut loose her bonds.

"Yay!" shouted Puppito. "I win I win!!"

He beamed up at Kloa-chan happily. Suddenly, the pirate ship, the blue waves, their costumes, everything disappeared. They were left as they started, in their old clothes. The pirates strewn about turned back into the giant wooden marionettes, that they were.

"Let’s play another one! This time you'll be a princess trapped in a tower guarded by 50 men and a fire-breathing dragon, and an evil sorcerer!! I'll be the White Knight!!"

Before Kloa-chan could object, a new scenery sprung up around them, and a large Dragon swooped down and carried her away. Klonnoa let out a very loud scream as the dragon grabbed her. She pounded on the dragon's claw, but her small hands had little effect other then annoying the scale-covered reptile.

"Wow, she's a good actress." thought Puppito... unaware that she wasn't acting.

I'm gonna kill Xellos when I get out of this... Kloa-chan thought bitterly, and continued her screaming as the dragon dug its claws into her.

"MEANIE! PUT ME DOWN THIS INSTANT!" she screamed, banging on the dragon's claw again. It spat a fireball at her, covering her in soot.

"Namagomi dragon..." she muttered, coughing a small cloud of smoke.

"Don't worry, fair Phyllis!! I come anon!!" Puppito cried valiantly, now sporting a tiny suit of armor. He whistled to summon a white steed ten times his size which he mounted and followed the sound of screaming.

************


NEXT TIME:
What's my dopy cousin doing following us around?? Doesn’t she know there’s goblins, and bandits and hungry blonde swordsmen in the woods?? Who’s gonna protect her, cause I’m sure-as-heck not gonna! Maybe Old Man Zangulas will! (I’M NOT OLD!!)
Be sure to catch,
Slayers Encore: Chapter 4

BAGGAGE!!
(thank NO ONE for little girls!)

You better watch or my mom’ll really cause some trouble!!