Between Two Fires

Original Plot from a comic by Rinoaebastel/Rinoax

Fanfiction version by: MoonStarDutchess

Prologue: Shattered Pot and Spilled Tea

Note and Disclaimer: I wrote this fanfiction adaptation with permission from Rinoaebastel/Rinoax. I am not in any way plagiarizing. We claim no ownership of Slayers and are just fans but we do own the ideas in this. Someone once stole some of our work so I have to post that.

She stared down at her favorite teapot, one that took a lot of cursing, four visits from Xellos, three maces to his face, and five efforts to fire, before she got it formed just the way she wanted it. Painting it took another six visits from Xellos and curse words she didn't think she had the ability to speak due to her oh so proper upbringing at the temple. Xellos drew many things out of her, every one of them negative just as he wished. When she'd let out a melodic string of curses in his direction, he had the most pleasant look on his face, like she had when taking a huge sip of the rare tea blend she got but once a year.

She removed a tin of tea from her cupboard, opened it, and scooped some into the pot, careful not to spill any since it was expensive. She'd bought it especially from a shop at the center of the town. Normally she would've settled for the simple teas she could brew from the herbs, roots, and spices in her garden but this was her favorite. She dropped the scooper back into the canister and slammed the lid shut, ignoring the already boiling water in the cauldron. No, it wasn't her favorite . . . her favorite was—

Don't be silly. Of course it's your favorite. You wouldn't have bought it otherwise. Not at its price.

Another voice in her head decided to pipe up its opinion. It's not your favorite. You know whose favorite it is. Don't deny it.

"I do not," she said aloud as she stalked over to the cauldron. She took a ladle, scooped out the water and added it to the teapot. "Besides, even if it were his favorite, it's not like he's been around to drink it."

And you're bitter over that. It's been a long time since he visited you after all. Maybe he got sick of you.

"I wouldn't fix it just because he likes it anyway!" She slammed the ladle down on the counter. "I don't care if he ever comes back," she muttered and forced herself to put the teapot lid on gently, otherwise, she'd have to fire another one like it and she didn't think she had the patience. When she heard a small crack, her ears twitched and she slowly turned to where she'd slammed the ladle. Her tail shot out and the point of her hat darted into a sharp point when the counter went from handy kitchen space to a pile of rubble.

No Filia, you aren't the least bit angry or bitter at all are you?

Filia jerked off her hat and stomped it several times until there was no use attempting to pick it up and clean it. "Gahhh No!" Her teeth clinched, her eyes narrowed, her hands formed into tight fists so she wouldn't grab something and throw it, and she snorted the way a bull would upon seeing a red cloth. If she didn't know better, she'd think she had little puffs of white air coming from her nostrils.

She relaxed as she saw a large shadow loom over her and the rubble heap. She straightened and jerked around, removing her mace from under her dress as she did so, having plenty of practice in the movement since Xellos was always sneaking up behind her like this.

But this wasn't Xellos. It was worse. There was a time she'd be happy to see a man like this but in the two years since the incident with Valgarv, she was perfectly content not seeing anything other than humans and a few other beings when they dropped by. "What are you doing in my home? How dare you come in here as if you own the place?"

"You're coming with us." His tone spoke as if he'd have no trouble taking her. He didn't know what kind of dragoness he was dealing with. She leaped back as he darted forward, twisting out of his way and swinging her mace at his head, he ducked and she moved around a table, keeping the furniture between them. "Behave yourself."

Screw you and the wind you flew in on. She grit her teeth. There was her inner Xellos coming out. Though he didn't curse much, when she heard him, it was enough to make her ears turn red. It'd rubbed off only she'd used the words far more than she wanted. She needed to learn to watch the potty mouth she'd developed.

An arm latched around her neck and she cursed at letting her thoughts run off the way they had. "You let yourself get distracted, so much for being a formidable opponent," he said. Her mind scrambled for something to do and she decided to go the typical female in distress route; she clamped her teeth down on his arm as hard as she could, and felt blood drift into her mouth. She pulled away, swung to the right, and slammed her mace against his head, sending him flying into what was left of her counter top.

She spit out the blood and looked over her shoulder at the door when she heard more footsteps entering her home. She rushed into her living room where she'd have more room to fight them. Her mind went to where she'd put Val and realized he would be safe. The intruders lumbered into the house, four of them. She knew she couldn't take on so many but she was going to try her best to protect what was hers. If she died, fine, but she didn't want anything happening to her son. Since the intruder said he wanted to take her, then maybe if they killed her, they would leave. She knew Jillas and Gravos would make sure Val was okay when they got back and saw she was gone. Even Xellos was better than these ignoramus brutes.

As they surrounded her like a pack of coyotes, she readied herself for a fight, willing to take as many of them with her as possible. There was no way she would let them take her alive if she could prevent it.

AN: All chapters won't be this short. This is my very first Xelfi fic so I'm still a noob. XD