"I'm not opening it."
"Neither am I."
It's X-mas morning. And by morning, I mean 12:03 am. Its a tradition for the Shrine to Ghaleon to open their presents first thing because some of their residents are only up at night, so they had to find something that would please everyone. Also, Zero and Skylark wanted to open their presents as soon as legally possable.
The present in question, however, was Zero's gift to everybody. It had the festive wrapping paper made for X-Mas... had the red bow that fits with X-mas... but...
It was from Zero.
"Look people," said a slightly irratied Zero, trying on the new cloak he got from his students, "there is nothing in that box that could hurt anyone. Take my freakin' word for it."
Skylark, who was playing around with the Super Soaker he got from Alis, looks at Zero with a sheepish grin. "Your word? This coming from the guy who steals other peoples souls for fun and profit?"
"Yeah," says a Darknight with a brand new mask he got from Demos, "from the Zero who likes to test out said souls on random people walking down the hallway?"
"YEAH!" says a Alis who got a memorial tablet from Rune so that her first spirit partner can have a home, "the Zero who..."
"Allright, alright! Jeez, some legendary warriors you people are," scoffs Zero. He turns to Roas. "You do it. You fear nothing except Ninya."
Roas, looking down from his brand new necklace he got from Ninya, glares at Zero. "I am not going within 20 feet of that box."
"AHHHRUUUGHHH! Fine! I'll open it!"
Zero gets up and is about to open the box when Rune walks over. "I swear, you people are such wusses." She takes the box out of Zero's hands and feels it. "Should I shake it?"
"NO!"
Zero's sudden outburst does start to make Rune a little worried. Then she feels the box. "Zero, why is it warm?"
"Look, i'll open the stupid box if your afraid..."
"Never mind." Rune undoes the wrapping and peeks into the box. Everyone except Zero is on edge.
Then, a very serious faced Rune looks at Zero. "Where did you find this?"
Zero laughs. "Eh heh. It hatched, huh?"
Roas stands up. "HATCHED?!? WHAT THE HELL DID YOU PUT IN THERE?!?"
Rune then smiles a big smile. "Because it's the cutest thing i'd ever seen!"
Rune reaches into the box and pulls out...
"Meooow!" A little, rabbitsh looking creature pops out. Roas's jaw drops, the he turns to Zero.
"A CABBIT! YOU FOUND A CABBIT!" Roas is shaking Zero by the scruff of his neck. "I THOUGHT YOU HAD THOSE THINGS MADE!"
"I-I-I saw some blue haired chick walking downtown Toyko with one of those things. I gave it a carrot and got one of it's whiskers in return. A few spells later, and poof! Needs a name, though."
Rune, Alis, Schala, and Infiniti start playing with the new cabbit. Ninya looks at Roas, then Zero, then shrugs.
"Another crazy resident."
------------------------
"Hey, Zero!"
Zero is about to go back to bed when Roas, Rune and Skylark walk up to him. For some strange reason, Roas is holding his Glaive, and Skylark his Ultima Spear. Rune is holding a strangly wrapped gift.
"Merry X-mas."
Zero looks at Roas, then Rune, then Skylark. "WHF?"
"Open it!" says Roas with a big smile. "It's from me and Rune!"
Zero rips into the bag and sees that it's a dagger. However, unlike most daggers, it has another, different type of stone build into the base of the blade. While most of the blade is the trademark white, the other stone glows an eerie green.
Zero holds the dagger with an open palm, not wanting to grab it. "Whats... this feeling... coming from the dagger?"
Roas's smile never fades. "Just grab it."
Zero grabs it, and his whole world turns green. The area around him glows with a green light, engulfing him.
Roas takes a step back and pulls out the Glaive. "This is it. He's being judged."
Skylark is about to say something when the green suddenly changes to black, then the black get sucked into Zero's palm. Zero looks at the other, then smiles.
"What the hell was that?"
Rune runs up to Zero and takes the dagger out of his hand. "HOW?!? He absorbed the power of the Orichalcos! That could only happen if he has no soul!"
Roas slaps his hand to his head. "Of course! Zero's soul ain't in his body! That why he beat the Judgement!"
Skylark looks at Roas, a confused look on his face. "Wait, then wheres his soul?
"Remember that gem he wore back in the early days?"
Skylark thinks for a moment, then gets it. "He keeps it around his neck?!?"
Zero pulls out said gem. "Yup. Gotta. This protects my soul from corruption from the others. The Soul Rune may protect me from the outside, but the inside is a different story."
Zero takes his dagger back. "So... what is this thing?"
"The dagger of the Orichalcos," starts Roas. "A dagger made part of Gundamium, the rest in a type of supernatural stone called the Orichalcos."
"Orichalos? You mean that soul-stealing stone from Yu-Gi-Oh?"
"Yes, except it quite real. If you stab someone, and the Orichalcos stone enters the body, you will drain out some of that persons soul and give the energy to yourself. Also, Watts had to cool it in water from the Fountion of Dreams, so it also knocks the sucker out."
Zero plays with the dagger for a second. "Wow. What a piece of work."
Zero smiles. "Thanks."
Rune claps her hands. "Well, go to bed! We have a big day tomarrow!"
Zero looks at her, confused. "It's X-mas. I thought we take it easy."
Rune give a grin that could even scare the Devil himself. "I know. That's why everyone is going to watch the "A Christmas Story" marathon to TBS. EVERY SINGLE ONE."
"SAY WHAT?!?"
"ATTENDANCE IS REQUIRED! ANYONE WHO REFUSES TO SHOW UP WILL BE PUT ON THE LIST!"
"Ah, come on, Rune! I was going with Kiyone to see some of her friends on Earth!"
Roas starts to get angry. "Remember last year?!?! You ruined the entire movie by saying every single line louder the the freakin TV did!"
Skylark starts to weep. "Woopie. A Zepplin. Doesn't that boy know those things blow up if someone farts too loud?"
"BE THERE! OR YOU'LL BE STUCK CLEANING THE URNUAL FOR A MONTH!"
Zero, Roas and Skylark sigh. Another Christmas Story marathon. Just another perk of living at the Shrine.