| Author's note: This story does have some plot, but if it seems confusing, its supposed to. The warm peaceful summer morning was broken by the sounds of piercing wails that could have shattered glass. Everyone in the camp who hadn't been up before now was. Everyone also knew within seconds who was crying, for no one else in the enitre universe could have cried like FireStorm Icara, also known as Sparky the Hellspawn. Found little over three years ago, the fiver-year-old was very odd, to put it mildly. She was small in size, being a child after all, but what made her stand out was that she had blue hair and violet eyes! She was deceptively cute, very cute. Too cute as her adoptive sister, Cole, often stated. She could charm birds from their nests, but she wouldn't have wanted to be that bird for all the gold in the world. It wasn't that she was violent, but when Sparky didn't get her way, bad things tended to happen. Which was why she was called Sparky the Hellspawn. Cole was the first to arrive at the scene, and found that Rex, the family terrier, had stole Sparky's teddy bear, a death sentence to any lesser animal. But as Sparky was afraid of Rex, the dog stood some chance of surviving. Only a small chance, though. Sparky's piercing wails would have rended anything unconscious within minutes, but Cole was quick to avoid distaster and pulled the bear from the dog's teeth, handing it back to Sparky in a second. The little girl's crying stopped, and she gave Cole The Look. It was a look that would have frozen rivers. Without a word Sparky walked off back to the tent she had been so rudely awaken from by Rex. "Sparky at it again?" asked a deep voice from behind Cole. Cole turned to see White Deer standing off to the side, next to a big oak tree. "Yes," Cole sighed. "She gave me The Look again. Every time she does that I get this very cold feeling... I don't think she likes any of us." "Why do you say that?" White Deer asked. "Well... for one thing she rarely talks to us, just cries. And when she does speak, its short things, and always a command. And then there's the way she looks. What normal person has blue hair and violet eyes?" "Remember, Cole, she was found by us up in the mountains. Those mountains are known to have mystical powers. My people believe that those mountains contain ways to enter other worlds, other universes." "And you think she from one of these other worlds?" Cole laughed. That was a rediculous idea. "Why not? Why is it strange things happen when she gets mad? Or why is it that she is so strong? I know for a fact you watched her push that tree down the other day when no one else was watching." Cole shrugged uncomfortably. It was true that Sparky was unusual...but to say that she was from another world? That was too much for her. White Deer just continued to smile, then walked back into the woods. Sparky sat on her sleeping bag, playing with her teddy bear when she got the feeling something was watching her. She looked up, but no one was there. Feeling a bit edgy, she crawled into her sleeping bag and hid her head. That was when she heard the voice in her mind. {{Sparky, it is time to return.}} said the voice. It sounded to her like White Deer, but she wasn't sure. {{Sparky, come back to the river.}} This time the voice was more forceful, an order. {{What about my family?}} Sparky shouted in her mind. {{They will remember nothing of you. This is not your world. Come. Now!}} Sparky crawled out of her sleeping bag, grabbed her bear and left the tent. The camp was strangely empty, but Sparky was not concerned. She walked as fast as her tiny legs could carry her, walking down the path to the river that was about half a mile away. There was a bridge crossing the river that had been made many many years ago. Standing on the bridge was White Deer, yet it wasn't the Native American either. It was like a mix between him and something else, something very familiar to her... At any rate he looked odd, dressed in dark blue and green robes and holding that odd staff. He beckoned for Sparky to join him on the bridge, and she obeyed. {{Now listen closely, child. I am returning you to your true world, but from there you are on your own.}} Before Sparky could agree or not, she was surrounded by a burning wind that lifted her off the ground! She placed her arms across her face to protect herself, the heat burning her body and soul at the same time! Then the wind was gone, and Sparky was on solid ground. She was standing on a wide dirt road surrounded by trees and rolling hills. It was nothing like the place she had just left, the air here smelled fresher, cleaner, and the sky was much brighter, unpolluted. She also felt something different inside of herself, as if something had been sleeping and was now awake. The other thing she noticed was that she was very hungry. And knowing that roads led to towns, she decided to follow the road until she found some place with food. The walk seemed very long and it Sparky soon grew tired. She grew so tired that she just sat down in the middle of the road, oblivious to everything. Until, that is, she heard someone walking behind her. She stood up and turned around to see a tall young man (a certain mazoku) walking towards her. Smiling her deviously charming smile, Sparky walked up to the man and pulled gently on his cape to get his attention. The man looked down at her and asked, "What do you want, kid?" "Sparky's hungry!" Sparky cried. "Well I don't have any food so go away." "WANNA HAVE FOOD NOW!" Sparky screamed, shaking the trees around her! The man looked a bit surprised, but not afraid as most people usually were when Sparky threw a fit. And was it possible that this child was the one his master had wanted him to find and bring to their side? If so, she was very much the brat it would seem, the man thought. All well. "Alright, I'll get you some food. But first I want your name." "M'name is FireStorm, but most call me Sparky the Hellspawn," Sparky replied, grinning evilly. She knew exactly what that name meant, too, and enjoyed it very much. "And you are called Xelloss." Now Xelloss looked a little more surprised. "How do you know that?" He asked. "That...is a secret." Sparky grinned even more evilly. Xelloss opened one eye and gave he a cold look. But Sparky was not scared easily. And she was still waiting for the promised meal. "Food?" she inquired. Xelloss took her by the hand and both of them vanished from the road, only to reappear in a town full of people. Xelloss took Sparky to the first tavern he found and let her pick out her food, which consisted mostly of fruit. Then, seeing one of his master's messangers hiding in the shadows, he left Sparky to see what the creature had to say. "Our master has sent you this message, Xelloss. You are to bring the child to her at all speed. She is very important to our Master's plans." "Then I shall do so right away," Xelloss replied, turning back to the table. He walked over and grabbed Sparky by the arm. "Time to leave, Sparky." "No!" Sparky replied firmly. "Sit and stay!" Sparky took her free hand and removed Xelloss' hand from her other arm, then pushed him into the nearest empty chair at the table. "I'm still eating." Xelloss was about to just reach over and force her to leave when he felt some sort of very strange energy run through his body! Then he heard a deep thundering voice in his head! {{You will do nothing to harm this child! Instead, you shall watch over her and protect her. And to make sure you do this I have turned you into a human! You will not be able to enter Zelas-Metallium's lair with this child. Return the child to her rightful place and then I will grant you your form back!}} The voice was gone then, leaving a very stunned Xelloss sitting at the table. Sparky was looking at him with an evil grin, her eyes cold violet iceburgs in a endless black sea. He felt angry at her, though he truly had no reason to be. "What are you staring at?" Xelloss snapped. "You my baaayyybbbyyyssssiiiitttteeeerrrr.........." Sparky laughed, drawing the word out slowly. "You hafta do what I want." "And how am I supposed to know where to take you?" "I know when I get there," Sparky said matter-of-factly. "I full now. We go." Xelloss followed Sparky from the tavern, now in a very bad mood. First he got turned into a human and now he had to babysit what had to be the world's biggest demon in the history of the universe! Sparky, paying no mind to Xelloss, walked out of the village and down the road, ignoring his shouts and threats as he tried to get her to listen to him. And just when he though it couldn't get worse, Xelloss and the Hellspawn ran into Lina and Co.! Sparky ran up to them, very curious, and Gourry, being the dumb blockhead that he was, was stupid enough to fall for her charms. "Hi there, little girl. Are you lost?" "No," Sparky answered sweetly. "We are just leaving, actually." "We?" asked Lina. "Yes. Me and my new babysitter, Xelloss." Sparky pointed to Xelloss. Lina took one look at Xelloss and burst into laughter. She couldn't help it. The thought of Xelloss the Trickster Priest babysitting anyone was too much for her. Obviouly Filia had the same idea, because she was laughing just as hard. Even Xelloss couldn't help but smile, the thought was amusing, however true it was. But then laughter was silenced by Gourry's shouts as he found himself being tossed into the air by none other than Sparky! And Sparky for her part, was floating a few feet off the ground, bouncing Gourry like a ping pong ball, a demonic look in her face! "NEVER TOUCH MR. TEDDY!" Sparky was shouting to an unfortunate Gourry, who had made the mistake of trying to take Sparky's teddy bear from her to get a better look at it. When she finally settled down Gourry was nearly unconscious and Sparky was still pretty ticked off, but not enough that it merited using her powers, it seemed. "Xelloss, just who IS that child?" Lina asked. "That is a secret," Both Xelloss and Sparky said at the same time. "Are you sure you two aren't related?" Filia asked in a distgusted tone. "Not related to Hellspawn," Sparky said fiercely, pointing to Xelloss. "Sparky is related to none of you. But you all come with me. Or else." "Or else what?" Lina asked challengingly. Sparky opened her mouth and began screaming. The sound had everyone on their knees, even Xelloss! Sparky stopped and look at the group sweetly. "Or else that. We go now. Find rest of group you travel with. Xelloss, I want a piggy back ride. NOW!" Sighing desolately, Xelloss picked the demonic child up and placed her on his shoulders. "Alright. Now we go." It proved to be a very, very long day. Gourry didn't seem to get it through his thick skull that Sparky DID NOT like people trying to take her teddy bear, and had found himself beaten almost to a pulp six times in one day. Lina complained, and so did Filia, but it seemed that even Lina wasn't going to fireball the kid, at least, not yet. Somehow Sparky alsways seemed to know just when she was going to try to attack, and would give Lina a glare that could have killed all the Mazoku Lords in a split second. That was very...unnerving. But at least Sparky and Filia had something in common...teasing and torturing Xelloss. Filia wouldn't leave Xelloss alone about the fact that he was now (for however temporarily) a human. Xelloss, for his part, acted pretty much the same, very annoying. He didn't like being pushed around, but as Sparky had found, she could get him to do just about anything by singing one of her favorite songs. "Xelloss, I wanna play horsey," Sparky said suddenly. Xelloss groaned. "And what, may I ask, is that?" Xelloss inquired in a moody tone. This couldn't be good. "You get down on all fours and I ride on you," Sparky replied sweetly. Filia and Lina both began to laugh uncontrollably at the thought of the former mazoku crawling on all fours with a five year old on his back. Gourry was clueless, as always, and couldn't understand why they were laughing. Xelloss flat out refused to do it. Sparky, her eyes flashing very dangerously, took a deep breath and began to sing. "I LOVE YOU! YOU LOVE ME! WE'RE A HAPPY FAMILY-" "Stop!" Xelloss cried, dropping on his hands and knees in pain at the awful song. (a/n: the Barney song could kill anyone, ne?) I'll be a horse, just stop singing that awful song!" Grinning as innocently as an angel, Sparky climbed onto the humiliated Xelloss's back and kicked him in the sides. "Giddy-up!" Sparky squealed to make him move foreward. Filia was laughing harder than ever now, unable to look at Xelloss without going into another fit. Xelloss was muttering under his breath about getting his revenge, but Sparky smacked him on the head and told him to be quiet because, as everyone knows, horses cannot talk. Xelloss's eyes flared with controlled rage as he mentally insulted everyone in the group for laughing at him and planned on how he could get his revenge after he'd gotten rid of this annoying brat. They would pay for this, he would make sure of it. Night began to fall before the group reached any type of town or village, so they chose to camp out by the road. A thoroughly exhausted and very dirty and beat up Xelloss collapsed to the ground and refused to move when Sparky prodded him with his staff, which she had been carrying while he was her 'horse'. Her sides were bruised and his head was aching from the many smacks he'd recieved from the brat for complaining. Normally he wouldn't have minded the pain, but he didn't have is mazoku body, he was human, so pain DID bother him. And the fact that Sparky didn't shut up didn't help. Finally Lina got so mad that she shouted at Sparky. "GO AWAY! Go play or something!" "Humph!" Was all Sparky said in reply as she walked off into the meadow. No one cared enough to follow her. In fact, they were all hoping that she wouldn't come back. But she did, and she was dragging something behind her with a piece of vine. Filia was the first to get a good look at it, and screamed as loudly as she could. Her cries woke Xelloss up, who looked up to see a smiling five-year-old just inches from his face. "Surprise for you!" She squealed, pointing to her burden. It was the skull and spine of a deer. (a/n: two kids I babysat actually did bring me one such 'gift'. There mother thought it was gross but highly amusing. ^_^;;;) Xelloss looked at it with mock interest, then layed back down and said, "No thanks, I don't need it." This comment royally ticked Sparky off. She had been hoping to get Xelloss mad or something, but it hadn't worked. Sure, Filia was wailing like a mad cow, but Filia wasn't her babysitter. And Sparky ALWAYS made her babysitters go crazy (yeah right, Xelloss is already crazy ^_^) but her normal tricks weren't working. Okay, maybe the singing worked, but that was getting boring. Maybe she would have to try something a little more...drastic... Pretending not to mind, Sparky left the skull and spine next to Xelloss and sat down next to the fire. She had to plan this next bit very carefully. If everything went right, maybe there would be some interesting results. Xelloss was sleeping fitfully, his mind reeling with the thoughts of traveling another day with Sparky the hellspawn. Now he knew why she was given such a name, even his master wouldn't have wanted the brat around after a few minutes with her, power or now power. But that wasn't the only thing bothering him. No, there was something else in the back of his mind, so elusive that he couldn't figure out what it was, and it was driving him crazy. It was like a half memory, something he should know, but disappeared whenever he tried to go after it. Finally, giving up, Xelloss opened his eyes and sat up. He was still very sore, and moving made his body hurt even more. The little gift Sparky had left him was still there, though Sparky herself was nowhere to be seen. Xelloss looked around the fire where the others were sleeping, but Sparky was not with them, either! For some reason Xelloss felt a wave of panic hit him, and not just because that brat was his only way to be turned back into a mazoku. He was actually concerned for her safety! He was about to wake the others up when he heard the soft sounds of muffled cries coming from the dark field behind him. Moving silently, Xelloss followed the sounds until he came up behind Sparky, who was huddled up in a ball a few meters away. Suddenly Xelloss felt every hair on the back of his neck stand up, and Sparky's cried grew louder as well. The little child sat up straight, her shoulders set in a defiant stance. Xelloss could see an aura around her, one that was a mixture of dark greys and paler white/gold colors. From the ways the colors were swirling around her like a violent storm, Xelloss could tell that a battle was going on between her and whatever it was that had made him edgy. Xelloss crouched down, getting ready to attack whatever it was that was approaching when he first saw the outline of the creature. It was like a black cloud that rested a few feet away from Sparky, who was now standing up, trembling ever so slightly. "Welcome back to this world, Goddess," The dark could hissed. "Still fighting against the demons that I sent?" In a voice that was definitely not Sparky's, she replied, "I have not yet lost this battle. You have forgotten the prophecy, Zayrin. Born of Light and cast to Darkness Then returned to Light once more. Take this child to my temple, So that our people may yet endure. He who is born of the Light and then was cast to Darkness has already been found. Very soon he shall be returned to the Light and the child whose body I have been reborn in will be returned to my temple. Then your kind shall not be able to harm those under my protection." "Hmph! I doubt that. Already the demons are poisoning this child. Look at how she's been treating those people she's traveling with. With such a poisoned spirit you won't be able to enter the temple. Then I shall win. Within three days I will be in the utmost control, and you will fall helpless. So, I shall return then, and when I do I shall personally see to your destruction." The dark cloud moved away, then vanished completely. Not quite sure what he had witnessed, Xelloss ran foreward just in time to catch Sparky, who had collapsed to the ground. Her eyes were glowing with a strange brightness, and he was made aware that the Goddess was still in control. "Xelloss, you and Filia must take this child to the Temple of the Stars. There is more at stake here than just one child. Three days you have, and in three days it will all be decided." "Goddess, who is it that you spoke of in that prophecy?" Xelloss asked, his concern changing to curiousity. Something kept telling him that it had something to do with him. The Goddess/Sparky smiled. "That is inside your own mind. You will know when the time is right." Sparky's eyes closed, then opened once more, now there normal color. She took one look at Xelloss and began to cry! She surprised him even more when she clung to his shirt and cried, "Make them stop hurting me, Mr. Xelloss! Make them leave me alone!" Xelloss did his best to comfort the child, carrying her back to the camp. Everyone had been awakened by Sparky's newest cries, and Xelloss did his best to ignore the strange looks he was getting. Suddenly Sparky grew tense in Xelloss's arms and said very softly, "They're coming. They want to take me away. Don't let them take me, Xelloss! Don't let them!" "What's going on?" Lina demanded, not happy about being woken up. "Who's coming?" "Bandits," Filia replied. "I can sense them." "Oh, goody. I get to have some fun, finally. Xelloss, get the hellspawn out of here. Filia, you go with him. We'll catch up with you. Gourry, you get to help me." "O-okay Lina," Gourry mumbled. This was more than likely going to end up with Lina getting mad at him for something. "What? Why do I have to travel with Namagomi? Why not Gourry?" Filia protested. "Just go!" Lina shouted dangerously. "Fine..." Filia muttered, twitching. "Let's go, namagomi." For once in his life Xelloss didn't make some sort of comeback as he carried Sparky down the road, Filia close behind him, her mace in hand. Once they were out of sight Lina called up a fireball and got ready for the Bandits to come. This trip might have some fun in store for her after all, and some treasure. Filia and Xelloss ran down the dark path, Filia muttering curses all the way. Xelloss told her more than once to be quiet, since he couldn't think with her talking all the time. Sparky was unnaturally quiet and still, which made Xelloss worried. The battle beetween light and dark was growing within her, he could see that, and the darkness was winning. It was making Sparky sick, and he was worried. He came up with a plan that would temporarily help her, and stopped on the path, causing Filia to run into him. "What are you doing, namagomi?" She demanded tersely, waving her mace threateningly. "Oh, come now Filia," Xelloss answered, his normal annoying self taking over once more. "Surely you can sense that something is wrong with the child. Don't you dragons know any types of healing spells?" Twitching with rage Filia raised her mace to take a swing at Xellos's head, but stopped when Sparky moaned loudly. Indeed she did sense something wrong, and took the child from her enemy's hands. Filia cast a healing spell on Sparky, who then fell into a restless sleep. Xelloss could still feel the struggle taking place inside of her, and was very worried. So much so that Filia noticed. "Namagomi, what is going on? And no secrets!" She was very exasperated with the recent turn of events. "All I know is that we have to take Sparky here to the Temple of the Stars, and we have three days to do it. That and some demon named Zayrin is after her." "Demon? One of your kind? I should have known!" "Easy, I assure I am not working for him. If I was Sparky would be dead by now, and you know it. Besides, she spoke of a most interesting prophecy, one which I am keen to learn more about, because she said that you and I are key parts in it." "What prophecy? Tell me, namagomi..." "Alright, Filia, dear. Just lower your mace, its making me nervous." Filia, who hadn't realized her mace was hovering over Xelloss's head, blushed and put it down at her side. "Well?" "Born of Light and cast to Darkness Then returned to Light once more. Take this child to my temple, So that our people may yet endure. That was the prophecy I heard." "Interesting prophecy. I know where the temple is, and we will get there faster if we fly. Here, hold her so I can transform." She handed Xelloss the child back, then changed into her dragon form. She allowed for Xelloss to climb on her back and took a good hold of her hair so that he wouldn't fall off, holding Sparky with the other. Once certain that they had a good hold, Filia sped off into the night sky, flying towards the coming dawn. |