Hello all,

I'm kinda taking my time with Chapter 4 of Fushigi Yuugi- Return of the
White Tiger. It should be up sometime next week, though. In the
meantime, I thought I'd take a change of pace and write the prologue to
one of my upcoming Slayers fics, the second being a Slayers/FY
crossover. I may also post the prologue/teaser to that sometime this
weekend or next week.

This takes place after Slayers: TRY. I have not seen all of TRY, just up
to episode 10 right now. I don't imagine Xelloss making an appearance,
but he may very well do so since it is something he'd get involved with,
if I get him and his superiors right. I'm not sure if Lina actually
defeats Darkstar, or if she just stops him from coming into the world...
if it is the later case, I will change the referance to that in the
later part of this prologue. Other than that, C&C is welcome, please
don't flame me, and enjoy.

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Slayers: Children of Darkness
Prologue
by Wesley Bridges
http://members.xoom.com/Souldrake/Slayers/COD.htm
(if you have frames, don't include the COD.htm and you'll get a framed
menu, just choose fanfic)

Disclaimer: All characters other than those I have created are the
properties of their respective owners
as are the a lot of the spells, etc. Don't sue me, I have no money, no
life, so it wouldn't be any fun.

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On a lone island far from the mainland, a tall man dressed in dark
purple and black robes with a lighter purple cape and a long staff with
a purple crystal embedded in the top looked at the looming tower
standing before him. The tower and its surrounding grounds stood
enveloped in an eerie, shadowy fog.

    "At last." the man said in a deep, despicable voice. "The tower of
the seven seals."

    "Lord Zalkur." a creature said in a harsh voice. The creature was
scaled much like a reptile, with two large bat-like wings portruding
from its back. Its facial features were rounded, yet defined the way a
snake or lizards face appears.

    "What is it Sha-rak?" The man said turning his head slightly.

    "We have found the sssealsss." the creature hissed wickedly. "But...
there is no ssssign of how to open them."

    "That's alright. I expected that. We will break the seals soon, and
when we do we will become unstoppable."

    "But, what of the prophesssssssy?"

    "NEVER MIND THAT!" Zalkur said angrily. "Should the one chosen by
light appear, we will dispose of him immediately. No one will interfere
with us once the seven seals within this tower... the seals which hold
back the forbidden lore sealed by the ancient ones 2000 years ago... are
finally opened. Once that power is in our hands, both of our masters
will be appeased, understood?"

    "Yessss, my lord. I ssssshall ssserve you assss I would my
masssster."

    "I know you will."

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

    "I... it feels warm... am I... released?" a female voice said
timidly.

    "No. you are still sealed deep within the earth." a male voice said
as a magnificent dragon shimmered into vision.

    "Who... who are you?" the female voice asked.

    "I am Ceiphied, leader of the race of gods."

    "Huh?! Ceiphied... er I mean... Lord Ceiphied... I.. I'm..."

    "You are Celise. My subordinates have told me of you."

    "Uh... yes I am... I... I... I didn't try to avenge the Dark Lord...
I..."

    "You were trying to join the race of gods?"

    "Yeah... I... I know it wasn't such a good idea... but I... I hoped
that... I could do something to stop the demons from destroying this
world..."

    "Then I shall make you an offer. Soon the tides of darkness will
seep onto this world. Forsake your demon-hood and all of the ways of the
demon, and I shall see to it you are unsealed. Do you accept these
terms?"

    "Yes, of course! But... if I am to loose my demon-hood... how... can
I even survive if the demon within me is killed?"

    "You will be transformed. The demon blood in you shall be cleansed
and replaced with that of my kind. When you are free, you will find the
one who killed Darkstar, Lina Inverse. When you do the rest will be told
to you."

    "It shall be done, Lord Ceiphied."

    "Good. Then the seal which binds you will be reduced to ice. Once
you regain your strength,  you can free yourself if the mortals do not
do so beforehand."

With that, the mighty dragon faded from existence, and all returned to
darkness...
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SoulDrake

--
"May the journey through the darkness give you comfort
 in the presence of the everlasting light"

     -The Mighty SoulDrake