Chapter one

Chapter one!: NO NEED FOR A FUTURE! Here we go again!

It was a normal day in the life of the fiery sorceress Lina Inverse. She and her dim-witted yet lovable companion Gourry were on there way to sairoon  again. It seems that Zel and Amelia had urgent matters that they wanted to discuss with her. Amelia had sent lina a letter a few weeks ago stating that there was monster activity in sairoon again and she didn't know where else to turn.

"Say lina how much farther do we hafta walk? I'm getting hungry!" Gourry moaned. "Just a couple more miles jelly fish brain, and quit moaning- your starting to make me hungry too!" she commanded.

"So what was it Amelia said in the letter, is it really that important?" he asked.

" I don't really know, something about the monster race, they're causing problems that they just can't handle." She said smugly.

"So why did she call you?" he asked.She gave him a death glare which made him silent in fear. When they arrived, they were greeted by Amelia and Zelgadis who took them directly to one of the private rooms in the palace, whatever was happening- it was serious.

"Oh! Miss Lina I'm so glad to see you again!" she said with admiring eyes, the kind of admiration she's always had for one of her greatest friends.

     "Yeah, it's nice to see you guys again too, so what's this big problem you have?" Lina asked Get –strait-to-the- pointy. Zelgadis cleared his throat and took an even more serious tone than the one he took before(which is usually pretty darn serious ^^)

"Well as, as you know we in Sairoon have been sensing odd vibes lately.  We think it's the monster race." He said nonchalantly.

"Well that's no real surprise." Lina said as she played with a piece of her hair. Zelgadis continued with his explanation.

"Some scouts said that they witnessed under ground activities, and strange rituals deep under the city…" he drifted into thought. While they were discussing the matter, no one happened to see one of the shadows between one of the large pillars in the room move…

Lina sat back in her chair and mused on this. Gourry was asleep by now and was snoring loudly. Lina kicked him and he came to a rude awakening AKA Lina's fist… "Any way- what kinda rituals were they?" she asked trying to stay serious.

 "They said something about a bright light, some kind of door..." Amelia said as she thought about her words. Yet again that pesky shadow moves.

"A bright light and a door, maybe a resurrection of some sort?" Lina thought out loud.

"Perhaps, but all we know is it's causing major distortions and fracas all over..." Zel started as he felt an odd chill come over him. Lina looks concerned and asks him what's the matter. "I sense something…it's coming from over there…" he points to one of the pillars, the shadow moves again.

"Well that's weird…" Lina said. "What's weird?, what do you see Miss Lina?" Amelia asked with worry in her voice. "I thought I just saw something move over there." She said as she stood up to get a better look.

"Well I don't see anything... but I know something's there-be on guard." Zel said with a hissing tone. Suddenly the shadow moves out from behind the pillar and changes into a swirling black mass. It seemed to have a voice and it was laughing maniacally at them!

"Whoa! This is way weird! Hey… wait a sec, why do I know that laugh?" Lina said as she started to get a clue of what or who it was. Suddenly, Gourry woke up and stood, knocking his chair to the floor.

"Hey! Look, it's Xellos!" he shouted. Everyone's jaws drop to the floor as the seemingly brain-dead Gourry finally made a correct and intelligent observation. A pouty Xellos appears out of the black swirl stuff. "Xelloss? Oh no…if he's around that only means more trouble…" she whined.

"Well thank you Mr. ruin-my-cool-entrance!" Xellos pouted. "Xellos, what are you doing here?! " Lina asked, with dread, "And why are you sneaking around?" 

"Well you know how it is! I'm a demon! the sneaking around is all part of my ah… persona," He chirped. "Anyway, I too am searching for answers as to these odd disturbances!"

"What? You mean to say that the Mazoku aren't responsible for this? I find that kind of hard to believe…" Zelgadis said  with suspicion in his voice.

"Well yes and no...you see, rouge demons that have no allegiance to the dark lords are up to something... as to what is a secret!" he chirped as he waggled his finger.

"So what you're saying is you know but can't tell us right?" she moaned.

"Nope this time I'm as clueless about things as you are." He said with a little sigh. Lina eyed him suspiciously, if there was one thing she knew about Xellos was that he never, NEVER told the whole truth.

"So what DO you know about all this? I know you know so don't even try to lie to

me Xellos!" she demanded. Xellos gave up, she just knew him too well.

"All I know is, is that they're up to something, we need to put a stop to it or else…. Well something not so good will happen if we just ignore it (and lord Beast Master ORDERED me to…)" Xellos tailed off.

"Hey Lina?" Gourry asked sheepishly, but before he could continue Lina cut him off. "I KNEW THIS WAS COMING!!! …" she gave Gourry a lecture on how jelly fish-like he was, and the others just stared. "Um.. so shall we go Miss Lina?" Xellos asked nervously. Suddenly the doors slammed open and the sound of a familiar ANGRY voice is heard.

"WAIT JUST ONE MINUTE!!!" she shouted with furry. Lina rubbed her ears and turned to the source of the voice, every one is glad to see one of they're old friends…except…"Oh NO! It's you! Who invited the dragon to come with us!!" he shouted in utter disgust."That's right, Miss Amelia summoned me! And I'm going with you all, but I don't see why Namagomi wants to come! He's probably going to betray us again, like he ALWAYS does." She said in a bitter furry. Xellos sneered at her in utter hatred.

"Is that so, goldie locks! Well I wouldn't expect a little selfish dragon to understand anything that involves reason!" he shouted spitefully. Seeing no end in site to this little *discussion* Lina decided to intervene. "Look Filia, I know what you think of Xellos… I mean you and Xellos don't get along, but right now him being a Mazoku might actually help us find out what's going on." With that being said Xellos stuck his tonge out at Filia and she fumed.

"We all need to work together on this one, right you guys?" she said as she gave Zel and Amelia a friendly glance. Zelgadis smiled. "Yes, we wish you the best of luck you guys!" he said with a smug smile. Lina frowned. "Don't think you're weaseling your way out of this one Zelgadis! You're two are the ones who called us here!" she said. "Well I'm afraid we'll hafta sit this one out, you see we need to rule the country and well…" Zel stopped mid sentence to gaze lovingly at Amelia…Lina suddenly notices something about Amelia that she didn't before. "Y-you mean..." she asked with a slight blush. Amelia smiled a little and blushed. "Yes.. that's right.." she said with a giggle.

Lina sweatdropped. "Oh this is great, just great…" she sighed.

"Amelia can't go in this condition, and I refuse to leave her here so we're asking for you guys to go instead." Zelgadis said. Lina was a little annoyed at this …interesting turn of events. Out of the corner of her eye, Lina saw Gourry pointing at her, then Zel, then Amelia, and then back at her again seeming to be deep in thought."Oh please. I'm not going to wait for you figure it out. She's pregnant, yogurt brain!" Lina yelled at Gourry, who looked disappointed that Lina didn't let him figure it out.

"Anyway, Zel, she'll be fine, She's a tough girl, she can take care of herself." She pleaded with the Chimera"MISS LINA!!! how could you say that!!!" Filia squawked. "Of all the inconsiderate things you could say! you've hit a new low!!!""Filia, trust me.. she's one of the toughest girls I know. she can handle Zel not being around for a few days." Lina said, trying to get the others to agree with her. She finally stops when she notices Gourry looking at her with a quizzical look on his face.

"But what if it's not a few days, like what if it's a few months or years?" Gourry asks them all, as if having a premonition. His pensive mood is soon shaken off by the ludicrous looks he's receiving from the others in response to his sudden insight."Well then if that's the case, then he can come back." Lina resolved.

"That, may not be possible...." Xellos spoke up."But until we know what we're truly dealing with, the more have on our side, the better our chances of putting an end to whatever it is." Lina commented. "Miss Lina....?" Amelia asked sheepishly. "Yeah?" Lina responded as she turns to look at Amelia. "Please don't think of me unkindly but... I depend so much on zel-koi now" Amelia said as she hugged her husband. "I need him to stay with me. Please Miss Lina, try to understand?" the ruler asked as tears begin to fight their way out through slightly closed eyes.

"Amelia, I understand how you feel." Lina said as she sighed in defeat. "I guess we can handle things on our own for now, but if things start to get too much for us to handle... can we borrow him for a little while?" Lina smiled a sweet smile towards her friend in hope.

"Of course Miss Lina!" Amelia said quickly, relieved that Zelgadis would stay near her side, "but I'm sure you of all people can handle it!" At the sound of the complement, Lina couldn't help but smile.

"Well come on guys, we have work to do." Lina said joyously because she was going on another adventure with her good friends… well, usual companions at the least.

"All right, now if everyone would all follow me!" Xellos said, eager to get going.

"NOO!!!" Filia shouted, causing everyone to look at her and then shake their heads at her insistence of counter-acting the Mazoku. "There is no way that I am going to sit by and let that monster lead this expedition!"

"Ahem…" Xellos cleared his throat to regain the others' attention, "I was going to say, before I was so RUDELY interrupted, that my master's spies have found one of the underground entrances, where we could get to the bottom of this little mystery." "Sorry Filia," Lina told her, "but we're following Xellos this time." As expected, Filia wasn't happy and grumbled about the issue. "All right, lead the way, Xellos." Xellos nodded and Lina, Gourry, and Filia follow him in his walk through the town- all the while, Filia fumed. When Xellos led them into a restaurant, Lina started to drool at the scent of sweet smelling food.

"BREAK TIME!!!"  Lina yelled to her friends as she sits at the nearest empty table. "I want everything on the menu twice........to start!!" "Not now Lina-chan." Xellos tells her, as he dragged her away from the table that she'd latched herself to.

"But I'm **so HUNGRY***!!!!!!!!" "We need to go, you can eat later Lina-chan." Xellos said, just before peaking a kiss on her cheek.  "HEY!" Gourry yelled, pulling a hammer out of hammer space and hitting Xellos with it. "I saw that!!" "Owwies!" Xellos muttered cutely as he rubbed the spot where Gourry hit his head. Gourry puts the hammer back where it belongs and Lina finally lets go of the table, blushing slightly at what just happened.

 

"Well lets get a move on..." Xellos then knocks on the wall closest to the group 4 times. At first nothing happened, but then they hear a grating noise and the door opens.

The four travelers walk through a labyrinth of catacombs, the freshness of the new adventure beginning to wear out.  Then, just as Lina was going to start complaining, they reached a room full of monk-like people. Not knowing the persons intentions, they hide.

"I don't think this is your everyday monster convention..." Lina whispers from behind a pillar. "No, it is certainly not... what's going on?" Xellos opens his eyes in dismay, trying to see what is going on. "You haven't heard anything from anybody?" Lina asked. "Caught a rumor? Anything?" "Nothing. All of this is totally hush- hush, not even Jo-sama knows anything about this!" Xellos told them.

 

"USLESS AS USUALL!!!" Filia yells from behind her hiding spot. At the sound of the yelling, the monks stop and turn to look at her. "Nice going, air head!" Xellos says in her ear from behind her. "OOPS... Hey! Get away from me NAMAGOMI!!!" "Will you shut up!?" Lina chides Filia as she grabs her and puts her hand over her mouth to quiet her.

"Welcome guests...." one of the monk-like people said. "Guests?" Lina questioned while blinking rapidly.  "Please don't be frightened. We've been expecting you, Miss Lina Inverse, Filia ul copt, and you Xellos, Master of Beasts and...who art thou?" the man told them. "Huh? Me?" the man nodded his head. "I'm Gourry!" " ...Ahh, yes the dumb one... Welcome to our operations!" "Hey!" Gourry yelled at the man. "Heh, don't mind him please." Lina laughed nervously, then smacked Gourry upside the head.

" ...We are glad you all arrived safely." "Are they being sarcastic?" Lina asked Xellos. "I-I don't know..." "Allow us to tell you why your here..." The man continued. "Please do..." Lina encouraged him. "As you know, there is an over world. What we have discovered is that there are millions of other words…. And you people are going to be the first test pilots to enter these worlds...."

"I don't remember volunteering to be a 'test pilot'!" Lina told them. "You're right." The man said. "Huh?"  "You didn't volunteer… This man volunteered himself, and then he volunteered yourselves. …" The gang watched as a man wearing a cloak stepped into view. When he pulled back the hood that hid his face, they were all stunned. "V-V-ValGaav?!?!" The four squeaked, shrieked, yelled and said in surprise at the same time.

"Mommy?" Val asked Filia. "Huh?" Gourry asked as they all sweatdropped.

"He volunteered us, eh?" Lina asked the man. "Ummm… Well, he kept repeating your names anyway…" Then the man regained his composure and signaled to the rest of the monks. After the signal, all of the monks started to chant, and the floor beneath their feet started to swirl.

 

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING NOW NAMAGOMI?!?!" Filia yelled. "I'm not doing anything!" "Well they are. I- AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!" Lina said, and then yelled at the surprise of falling into the whole created by the chanting. The others screams soon followed as they all fell down into the abyss.