Disclaimer: As usual, I don't own Slayers in any way, shape, or form.

What happens if the good guys really win? After the last celebration, does a saved world really ride off into happily ever after?

Angel of War - Prologue

:: I've walked a long road. It's easy to look back, now that I'm near the end of it, and say I lived a good life. I'm certain that I would have strongly disagreed at the time (and thrown quite a few curses, threats, or spells as well)…but overall I really can't complain. ::

"Are you ready to go yet?"

The flat tone didn't suit her. Some people should never have the life worn out of them.

"Just about."

"Still tying up loose ends?"

"More like…leaving myself a note."

That made her smile, even if it was a bit strained.

"You too? Maybe you'll let me read it when we arrive. I'm curious what you jotted down compared to what I did."

:: Don't mistake me; it was hardly an easy path I walked. If I had to count all the enemies I've faced, all the evil-doers - as Amelia would say - I've left behind me, rotting in their own blood…well, the numbers would probably make Xelloss smile. (Twisted soul that he is) ::

They didn't bother locking the door, it wouldn't have mattered. The hunters would destroy their place even if they were gone. Such was the way of the new world. The hounds wanted blood…it didn't matter who it belonged to. When it came down to it, the fact that they were famous only made the goal that much sweeter, that much harder to resist. Famous targets made a better example to the masses.

:: I can't deny that my - our - adventures had their dark spots. You don't get the kind of nicknames we did without good reason. Looking back, it's rather funny; they cursed our group as if we were some evil terror…yet the moment they needed our help, they pleaded to Ceipheed and the Lord of Nightmares for our help. ::

:: It's a wonder we didn't leave them to the hell they'd asked for. ::

If they wanted a sacrifice so badly, let them search through the ashes for it first. If the world intended to burn, their former home would serve as the first spark. Who deserved to light the pyre more than they?

:: Sometimes I wonder if we really did any good. At every tavern we hear old soldiers talking about the 'glory' of combat, of vanquishing some great evil. (Never mind that they often look at us in the same light as their so-called villains) But what are a couple of bandits compared to a dark lord? How does one word label a common thug alongside a Mazoku that would happily destroy the entire world? ::

They left town in the middle of the night, two shadows against the moon, ignored by the sleeping fools below. Even the guard set to 'confine them for their own safety', missed their escape. You don't capture a legend - let alone two - without doing some research first.

Who could actually be foolish enough to believe that two powerful mages wouldn't use their magic, simply because they said they wouldn't? Some people really can't be bought, and some will never surrender…even if the world stands against them.

:: We saved them over and over…and some still curse us for it. Amelia always preached about justice…but do those that willingly blind themselves to the truth deserve it? If I stood beside Xelloss in a crowd, who would they label as 'evil'? ::

:: Pointless question. They label everything evil these days. Even intelligence itself can be dangerous anymore. Wouldn't want people asking too many questions. ::

A familiar face was waiting for them, dressed to the hilt in her formal armor. It was almost comforting to know she was ready to fight for them. At the same time, the fact that she believed her position as Knight of Ceipheed wouldn't protect her…it served as a dark example of just how much things had changed.

:: It's still hard to believe the others are gone. Not just immediate friends, either. It seems like everyone we've ever fought beside, ever sought refuge with, has been whisked away in the night. They're carted off to cells without question, sentenced to death without trial. Even Amelia's kingdom could hide her only so long.::

:: Justice didn't stop the axe from dropping on an innocent child. ::

"Sis…"

She shook her head. "No time for goodbyes, Lina. You both know how important this is."

A new figure appeared on the temple steps, still-smoking cigarette in one hand, Xelloss' staff in her other.

"Are you ready?"

:: Rehabilitation is worse. To see a friend standing there, unable to recognize you, unable to remember all the things you did together…even now I can't find the words. An entire lifetime gone, wiped away in favor of cliché propaganda. Such a blank gaze…even on someone like Gourry it is an indescribable cruelty. Better that he join Sylphiel in the ground beneath Flagoon. At least now they're free. ::

Everyone reacted badly, but Luna was the first to respond.

"Xellos?"

Several clouds of smoke came into being before she answered. "He won't be joining us. There were…other matters to attend to."

"Zelas…"

Narrowed eyes stopped their condolences cold. "Don't waste the time he bought you both!"

:: Peace…I wonder if that was the very horror the Lord of Nightmares wanted us to avoid. Lina - no, all of us - were never meant to stop leaving chaos in our wake. We should have continued on; kept walking that road of ours, turning the world upside down as we went. No happy endings, no ending at all. ::

It didn't take them long to set their spells, anger and grief driving them as nothing else could. Magic flared across the old temple, sending a clear beacon to anyone with eyes that might be wondering where they were.

They set their spell in the main doorway, a thin film settling over the opening, looking to all the world like nothing more than the sheen of a soap bubble. Yet despite such a fragile appearance, it held enough power to make even Lina nervous.

Looking up from her position at the right base of the arch, Zelas smiled. "Good…I didn't want to wait until dawn."

Taking a similar position at the left base, Luna nodded. "Okay you two, time to go."

:: It all started with gratitude; celebrations in the streets, statues and shrines built in our honor. Later we became burdens…constant reminders of darker times. They didn't need heroes anymore, not in their new world of peace. No chaos child to rock the boat, no Mazoku and Gold Dragons to interfere where they weren't wanted. Even magic became an annoyance, a power that created rifts between people. Mages caused trouble; some used spells to destroy, others simply proved that they were better in some way. Even healers were strictly watched, forced to learn only a few spells, constantly reminded that they were outsiders and should set an example. ::

Standing back to back, hands at their sides, the two mages linked their hands together.

"Will we be enough?"

Doubt was another thing that didn't suit Lina.

"You've never been one to stop trying, Lina. If anyone can change the tide or stop the sun from rising, it would be you."

:: If peace created a world that didn't need heroes anymore…then that had to be a good thing, right? ::

"Lina?"

She tightened her grip on him. "Yeah, Zel?"

"Don't forget." Even with the world falling apart around them, he managed to blush. "Not just the world, or the others. Don't forget us."

:: So the world told us…over and over again. ::

Even as fresh magic swirled around them, each half powered by eternally opposing factions, he could sense her smile.

"Why save a world just to lose the most important part of it?"

:: The world was wrong. ::

. . .

A Knight and a Lord watched their last hope vanish in a swirl of colored magic. Neither said a word; instead they turned as one, each glaring at the approaching army. Two against the world, in both their time and another. It was a fitting balance.

:: Peace, eternal balance, a never-ending truce…let the fools have their still death. Chaos drives people onward, even if they refuse to see it. It may be the hardest road, the darkest path, but it gives the greatest reward. ::

Hours later, two women still watched over a single, ancient arch. The once white steps were coated in various examples of death, while several small fires created an eerie backdrop.

"Now what?"

Zelas smiled. "We wait."

"I mean besides that."

If anything, her smile grew. "Now, we drink."

"Drink?"

Producing two glasses from nowhere, a bottle of wine soon followed. "We drink until the world makes sense again."

:: I've walked a long road, lived a good life. Good by whose standards is up for debate, but others don't really matter. The fact that I walk with Lina makes my life a good one. The fact that we get another adventure…one that, if successful, means many more to come…well, that makes my life great. ::

"To Chaos!"

"To Chaos eternal!"

:: So don't forget. Remember the pain, remember to change things. Keep taking risks, keep traveling with Chaos itself. Most of all, Zel… ::

Some time later, on the verge of passing out, the two exchanged a glance.

"Will they really be strong enough, Luna?"

"She's an Inverse…they both are now. You should know we're up for anything."

:: …don't forget how much you love her. In this, make sure to listen to yourself. Memory may be all that keeps you two going on the road ahead. ::