An odd V-day fic for '08. Love may come in many forms, but so too does the display of that love. Just what does someone get a Mazoku on such a holiday?

Standard disclaimer: I don't own a thing! (Kinda wish a had a chess set like that though!)

"I'm starting to regret taking you up on that offer of yours."

Eyebrows raised in a show of surprise, Xelloss set the small box on the table between them. Crafted of a wood so dark it was almost black, the interior was lined with navy satin, while a silver clasp hung from the recently opened lid.

On one side, two rows of grey hematite pieces were snuggled amidst the fabric, the intricately-carved facets shimmering brightly whenever a stray bit of light graced them. In a similar position on the other side, a set of dark garnet pieces shone sinisterly.

"Whatever happened to black and white?" As soon as Lina asked the question, she regretted it. No doubt she wouldn't like his response.

He looked at her, as if the answer should be obvious. "Mazoku rarely deal in such stark extremes, Lina. And so we have the ever-shifting fog on one side, to symbolize our motives-"

"And the dark blood of results on the other? I'm surprised you went with garnet, rather than ruby."

Favoring her with a thin smile, he began to set up the board. "Accuracy, dear. Ruby is often too bright for blood…especially after that first splash of lost life."

When she only nodded in agreement, Xelloss favored her with an approving smile.

"And that leads us to why I asked you to be my opponent today. So many lack the stomach - and the spine, for that matter - to play against me."

"Flattery will get you nowhere, Xelloss. You know I like a challenge. I don't intend to lose."

"So you'll hold to the bet?"

"Don't leave the table till we're through with the game? Seems simple enough."

Taking a seat, Xelloss placed the last piece on the board. "This is Mazoku Chess, Lina…and as you've learned from me, nothing is ever simple in this world." Opening his eyes slightly, he favored her with a knowing smile. "What will it be, motive or action?"

Meeting his gaze, she met the challenge evenly. "Action."

Without a word he turned the board until two rows of pieces, the color of dull blood standing out even more against her red hair, stood before her. When he didn't move immediately, she tilted her head.

"Motive before action, I believe."

The game began almost carelessly. Pawns moved forward on both sides, and gradually higher-ranking pieces began to dance about the board, all without meeting. Talk floated across the board, mundane discussions that ranged from travel preparations to magical theory.

Eventually, as with all games of direct combat, one player must move against the other. While Xelloss continued their debate on the quality of the local cuisine, Lina twirled her Queen between two fingers, before finally moving forward to capture a Knight. As the piece touched the marble board, she felt a spell wash across her, its touch light for all the power she felt behind it. Unsurprised, she didn't fight it.

The fog of morning surrounded her, though with a bit of effort she could just distinguish several pockets of green in the distance. The air smelled of blood and death; a battlefield then, hardly surprising for a chess board.

At the growing sound of hooves, Lina whirled around, a spell on her lips. She didn't have long to wait before a grey stallion charged out of the mist, an armored rider atop his back. Horse and rider continued their charge while the knight drew his sword, aiming it directly at Lina. Waiting until the last moment, Lina dove to one side, hitting the damp grass in a roll before getting back on her feet a moment later. Before the man could wheel around for another pass, she finished her spell.

"Flare Arrow!"

The sound of a body hitting earth - hard - reached her ears a moment later. The stallion reared once, but was trained well enough that he settled once Lina had a firm grip on his reins. Satisfied that she wasn't in danger of being trampled, she finally looked at the fallen soldier.

The breastplate of his armor was smoking, the helmet having rolled a short distance away. Drawing her sword, Lina cautiously approached the man, horse trailing a short distance behind.

He was a fool to challenge her; a lone Knight attempting to take a Queen of her skill. Still, the man had pride. Even as blood dripped from various opening in his armor, his eyes held nothing but defiance as they continued to glare at her.

"Such a waste…"

Sighing, she didn't waste anymore of her time. With a single stroke, his throat became a bloody line, effectively silencing the hatred in his gaze.

The sound of Xelloss' voice brought her back to herself.

"Ever the direct approach, eh Lina? While on the one hand I approve, it does take some of the fun out of it. You shouldn't sacrifice the thrill of a good chase for quick results."

Blinking several times, Lina stared at the Mazoku in a fair mimicry of Gourry for a moment.

"Did you…." She trailed off, unsure on just what to say.

"Did I?" Xelloss prompted when it looked like she wasn't about to continue.

Fixing him with an intense stare, she searched his casual mask for any sign that he'd experienced that same dream she had. She was positive he'd been the Knight; they'd had the same face, the same eyes…was it just part of the game's magic to supply the opponent's face?

"Nothing, never mind. Your move."

If Xelloss was disappointed in her quick recovery, he gave no sign. Chatting amiably about their latest bandit thrashing, he gently fingered his other Knight, before abruptly moving it to capture a Pawn.

Again the spell grabbed her, board and opponent fading into mist, before darkness swallowed her.

A high-pitched scream assaulted her ears, forcing her eyes open to the carnage around her. Once-silver hooves towered above her, a fresh coating of blood standing out against the darker, dried blood of past victims. With time enough for only a single shout of warning to her comrades, she heard them waking even as the battle-soaked metal descended upon her.

A wet snap told her she'd never use her sword arm again, while a similar crunch confirmed that she'd walked her last. Looking up, her eyes slid past a dark hide coated in layers of red, beyond a saddle cut and broken. Even as blackness hovered at the edge of her vision, she managed to focus long enough to curse at her killer.

Violet eyes followed her into oblivion.

"Your move, Lina."

And so they played, each hiding their experiences - assuming Xelloss felt them, Lina wasn't certain - behind a bland face and random talk. Each new scene became a new reality, only to fade into half-recalled dreams once they'd finished. It was a harsh game, cruel even…but most disturbing was how accurate it was.

Hadn't she done similar enough in the past? Her friends, the world…all of it had been worth protecting at any cost. With each dream, she knew she protected a kingdom, guarded all the people depending on her. Even if stubbornness and the desire to win hadn't driven her on already, the simple fact that she was such a crucial part of the war would have. She was protecting those people - protecting herself in a way - even if they, if the entire thing, were nothing more than figments of her imagination.

Pawn takes Bishop…

She awoke suddenly, feeling a hand over her mouth. Struggling wildly against an iron grip, she stopped yelling after her first scream came out as nothing more than a muffled shout. There was no one to hear her so late in the night, no Queen to save someone of her lowly rank.

Two fingers moved slightly, leaving a tiny gap. Before she could take advantage of the minor freedom, a small vial was forced into her mouth, a bitter liquid sliding down her throat. Her eyes widened in panic, knowing for certain that they intended to poison her.

So they'd finally grown desperate enough to send an assassin after her. It didn't matter that she was a member of the church, that she held the King's ear. She had spoken against their faction for years…even then she'd known it was only a matter of time before someone silenced her.

As sleep overtook her for the final time, she devotedly prayed that the killer would be caught, if only to reveal just how much all her speeches had been worth. Someone had to warn the King, open his eyes to the real danger.

Bishop takes Rook…

The castle walls were finally falling. All around her men were screaming, running in mindless panic. They'd doubted her, herpower. Now they fled, abandoning their posts in the hopes of saving themselves.

Above, framed by the tower's sole window, Xelloss looked down at her. He was a traitor, a sole slated for damnation for his crimes. Ah, but he was clever as well. Long before Lina or her forced reached him, he would kill himself. She knew that it wasn't the torture he feared, but rather revealing his secrets under the force of her magic.

Throwing another fireball at the grey structure before her, she wasn't surprised when a growing trace of red lined the grooves between the massive stone blocks. He would die with his secrets…but he would still die.

As the last vision left her, Lina took a good look at the board. Only a few pieces remained, a move or two at most separating them from victory.

A certain dizziness hovered about her, one that had only grown as the game went on. Briefly she considered resigning the game, but her earlier bet rekindled her will. There was a promise to keep, a gift still to give.

Reaching out, Xelloss repaid her for the rook she'd taken earlier.

Rook takes Bishop…

Walls. Everywhere she looked, there was only another dark wall just waiting to fill her vision. Rats scurried across the floor, across her feet in complete disregard of her rank. They were smart - and cruel - her jailors. Water dripped along the chains that bound her, eventually landing on her shoulder in a steady rhythm, agonizingly close to her parched lips.

They hoped to break her will, capture her secrets. Every day her jailor would ask something about her King, about her army. When she refused to play their game, they devised new ways to inflict pain, waiting for the moment she would snap.

But she was strong. Let them do their worse, spin lies that all her friends and allies were gone. She would remain, would continue thinking of ways to escape, forming plans for revenge. There were many things she was…sorcerer, fighter, cunning leader…but she would die before adding betrayer to that list.

Smiling at the board in triumph, Lina gently cradled the dark red Queen in her hands. It wasn't like Xelloss to leave such an obvious opening, but she wasn't about to question her good fortune. Time to end the game, to go back to being herself in her own world.

Queen takes King…

The bedroom was dark, but she was at home in the shadows. She'd waited a lifetime to get revenge for her kingdom…but finally the King would fall.

Whistling a tune, the man was silenced abruptly as Lina slid an arm around his neck, settling her dagger against his throat. Smiling in long-awaited triumph, she whispered a parting bit of advice to her enemy, satisfied that the words would be the last thing to accompany him into oblivion.

The dagger slid past then, burning a magic-tainted streak across his neck. Warm liquid tickled her hands, the sticky threads of fresh blood winding their way down her skin before soaking into the edge of her sleeve.

Fighting to utter a gasp that would never be heard, Xelloss' knees buckled, driving the King to the floor. From there he toppled further still, his face finally settling against the emerald green rug. As the spark of life left his eyes, Lina repeated her final taunt, even while cleaning her dagger on the former leader's cloak.

"King or Pawn…we all fall just the same."

- - -

Shuddering slightly over the final vision, Lina gave a start at Xelloss' happy exclamation.

"I take it you enjoyed yourself?" She asked, pleased when her voice came out evenly.

Opening his eyes, he graced her with an appreciative look. "Thank you Lina. I don't think I'll be touching any mortal emotions for some time after this." With a lazy grin, he quickly put the pieces and board away. "I do believe that is the best Valentine's Day gift I've ever received. "

Crossing her arms, she glared at the trickster priest. "It had better be! I went through hell to give you what you wanted…don't forget that."

Rising smoothly from his chair, Xelloss was behind her a moment later, arms wrapped loosely around her.

"My dear, dear Lina…you know me better than that. As it happens, I've found the perfect way to repay you for such a gift."

Suspicious, she unfolded her arms, turning a bit to look at him from the corner of her eye. "Oh? And just what it is you're planning?"

"A game of checkers."

Dumbfounded, it took Lina a moment to gather her wits. "…Checkers?"

With a lewd grin, Xelloss leaned closer, until his mouth was beside her ear. "But of course. Visions of me jumping you…you jumping me…" He breathed, kissing her ear lightly.

Hours later, Lina was still chasing Xelloss through the town, her face as red as her hair - though whether from embarrassment or anger even Xelloss couldn't say - curses and spells alike flung at the Mazoku.