Hello! For those who were familiar with the first version of this story, this is a rewritten version, because the first version had a lot of problems and holes in it. I tried to fix it as the story went on, but it got to the point that I couldn't take it anymore and just decided to scrap it and start over. Actually, the only thing I really scrapped was the first few chapters, as it is pretty much the same once you get several chapters in... but I re-wrote the ending, so I've had to re-write the beginning. Here is the story again, a little different, but the same plot nonetheless.

The story is somewhat of a companion to my other fanfictions, taking place after 'All That Glitters' and 'Pathos.' But if you haven't read those, then you shouldn't have too many difficulties understanding the story- the plot is completely standalone.

For those new to the story and those returning to it... please enjoy! I don't own any of the Slayers characters or settings, I'm just a fan who enjoys writing fiction stories! ^_^

1- Rescue! Just Who Is This Kid Anyway?

Lina pressed herself closer to the tree she was hiding behind. From the sound of things, it seemed as though the bandit gang had taken a hostage, and Lina wasn't especially fond of outlaws who used such a tactic. It was cowardly, and involved people who shouldn't have been involved in a dangerous situation. Angrily, the sorceress readied herself for an attack.

A bead of sweat rolled down her forehead. Hot, muggy days were not Lina's favourite thing about the summer, that was for sure.

It had been rainy for the past week, and it was beginning to weigh on the sorceress' nerves. It was summer, after all! Why couldn't the weather be both hot and sunny, rather than hot and rainy? It didn't make any sense.

Of course, it was all the weather's fault that she was out alone hunting bandits- which wasn't necessarily a bad thing. Her apprentice was stuck in bed with a summer cold, and with no mentoring to do, she left Gourry looking after the boy at the inn and went out to see if there were any bandits she could chase.

She didn't need the money, as they weren't low on funds, but it was stress relieving to be able to beat someone up once in a while- someone who wasn't your travelling companion, of course. It wasn't raining at the moment anyway, so being outside wasn't a bad thing.

The town they were staying at was a lively merchant city in the southern region of the country of Seyruun. It was filled with characters, both savoury and not. Lina had followed a particularly shady-looking pair from the town, hoping that they would lead her back to a camp with more bandits like themselves.

She had been in luck. They'd led her straight to their comrades, who appeared to be a varied group of bandits, from pickpockets to armed robbers. She'd been following the group for a short while, trying to decide what kinds of valuables they had in their possession, and what the best plan of action might be. However, a commotion began among the group of thieves, and Lina stayed hidden to listen. She pressed herself up against the tree so as not to be discovered.

There was screaming from someone who sounded like a young child. Lina stiffened, her mind flying to her young apprentice for a moment. It was obviously not him, as he was back in bed at the inn, and the voice was feminine, but the thought of the bandits picking on any little kid had Lina infuriated. She wasn't going to let them get away with doing something terrible to a child, that was for sure!

"Heh! We can go ahead and kill the little tyke- all that jewellery she's got will fill our pockets for a long time!"

"No, no! If she's got this much stuff on her right now, just think of how much she must have at home! This chick's family must be loaded! We can get a whole lot more if we hold her for hostage!"

"But if we do that, we might get discovered. You know we're wanted criminals."

"Yeah, that makes sense. Let's just kill the brat."

There was a very audible gasp of horror from the child. It was in this moment that Lina decided she'd had enough of this, and jumped out toward the bandits.

"Hey! You guys! I hate to interrupt, but it sounds like you really need to pick on someone your own size!" she yelled.

The bandits turned and gave her a stare. They were all taller and more muscular than she was, and so it seemed as though the 'same size' comment might have been some sort of joke. But Lina's stern expression showed that it was no joke, and she stood with her hands on her hips, daring the bandits to defy her.

"What do you want?" one of them asked. "Get lost, pipsqueak- or we'll rob you too!"

Lina growled in response. "Pipsqueak?' Did you just dare call me a pipsqueak? I'll show you a pipsqueak! FIREBALL!" The bandits jumped out of the way in a frenzy. "That's Lina Inverse to you!" she called at them.

They seemed to pause at this statement. "Lina… Inverse…? LINA INVERSE, THE BANDIT KILLER?" they all gasped, huddling together in fear.

"So, you do know my name after all." Lina sighed. "What do you think? Am I still such a pipsqueak?"

"N-no! No! Not at all!" they all stammered.

"Good. Now, I think that-"

"We'll leave the girl alone!" "Yeah, she's all yours!" "We'll get out of here right away!" "We won't get in your way again, we promise!" All the bandits exclaimed, running as fast as they could away.

Lina stood in the dust, trying to regain her composure. They'd all run away so suddenly, she'd hardly had the chance to attack them.

So much for stress relief.

Lina turned to the little girl, who was staring up at her with wide eyes. "M-Miss…" she stammered, her voice painted with a heavy accent. "You are not going to steal my jewellery, are you?"

Lina examined the girl for a moment. She couldn't have been more than 9 or 10 years old, and was quite an attractive young girl, with curly dark-lavender hair that fell to her shoulders, and pale-blue eyes. Despite all this, the thing that drew Lina's attention was her jewellery. The bandits had been right! This girl had tons of it! Necklaces, bracelets, at least one ring on each finger, earrings, a tiara even! And to top it all off, a parasol full of lace and precious stones. Her eyes sparkled at the sight of it, but she had to remind herself that she was dealing with a young child.

"I wouldn't do that to a little kid like you." Lina replied comfortingly, extending a hand to the girl. "I'm not as bad as everyone says." She added under her breath " At least… most of the time."

The girl took Lina's hand and pulled herself to her feet, straightening out the wrinkles in her dress and clutching the elaborately carved handle of her parasol tightly. "Well, I must say, I am in your debt, and am eternally grateful to you, Miss Lina Inverse, the Bandit Killer." She gave a small curtsey.

"Just Lina Inverse would suffice." Lina replied. "But… uh… if you don't mind me asking, who are you?"

"Me?" The girl flashed a smile. "I suppose there is no one here to introduce me except myself. I am sorry. Lady Marielle Emilene Marilla Fitzgerald Arcarti, at your service."

She's not used to introducing herself? That's a sure sign of wealth, power, or both. Lina thought to herself. And that's a heck of a lot of names! I wonder where she's from… that's a pretty odd accent that she has…

"Well, Lady Arcarti-"

"Please, call me Marielle." the girl chimed, smiling.

"Well, Marielle, you really need to be more careful. If you walk around decked out in jewellery like that, it's no wonder that bandits are going to want to rob you."

"I understand thoroughly." the girl nodded. "But, you must understand, a girl's jewellery is her life."

"Oh… I understand that…" Lina murmured. "However… you really ought to get home. Do you know where you come from?"

Marielle looked taken aback. "Why, of course I know where I come from! What kind of forgetful person do you take me for?"

"S-sorry, sorry! I just… I one rescued a boy from some bandits, and he didn't remember where he came from, so I spent about month finding his actual home… in any case, which way is your home? I'll walk you there, if you'd like. No sense in having to walk back by yourself after what happened."

"Indeed." Marielle nodded. "I highly appreciate this gesture of kindness, Miss Lina Inverse."

"Oh, don't mention it!" Lina laughed. "Just…" her expression darkened. "don't go spreading it around. It might be detrimental to my reputation."

"You have my word." Marielle nodded.

Lina took the girl's hand and they set off through the woods back in the way Marielle had directed. Lina was curious about the strange girl, and asked questions as they went.

"So… Lady Marielle… do your parents normally let you go walking out on your own like this?"

Marielle turned to Lina, and replied "Oh, my parents are deceased. I live with my sister."

Lina gasped, not only at the unexpected severity of the girl's situation, but also at the seemingly apathetic countenance with which it was said. It wasn't usual that a young girl was so unfeeling towards their parents' deaths.

"I… I'm so sorry…" Lina breathed. "How old is your sister?"

"She shall be twenty, come November." Marielle replied.

Lina breathed somewhat of a sigh of relief, knowing that the girl lived with an adult, rather than by herself. "Well, still… I'm sorry about your parents."

"Do not worry yourself over it. I never knew my parents. I harbour no grief toward their untimely passing. It is the way of nature." Marielle answered. "You must not trouble yourself over things out of your realm of control. I do not."

"W-well… still…" Lina stammered, unable to find an appropriate response to that statement. She was quiet for the rest of the journey, trying to get things straight about this strange girl. She shouldn't care so much about the background of a girl she'd just met, but something about Marielle had piqued her interest.

It was a long trek, but they finally reached the gates of a large mansion. The walls were brick and covered in ivy. A large, elaborate, wrought-iron gate stood, with stone lions guarding it. Marielle walked up to the gate, holding her hand up. The lock glowed with a peculiar magical energy, and the gate opened.

"Wow, a gate that responds to a magical signature, huh? that's incredible.

"Oh, it's a normal fixture here at the mansion." Marielle replied, waving her hand contemptuously. "Would you like to stay for tea? I would be happy to have you."

Lina paused, looking at the clouds, unable to tell what time it was. She was rather hungry, but figured that it was probably getting late, and it would take a while to walk back to the town. She was worried about her apprentice, and didn't want to leave Gourry for too long without her there to make sure that he didn't do anything stupid. "Sorry…" she apologised reluctantly, half-wanting to stay for tea, just to find out more about this girl- and get something to eat, of course. "but I have some friends back in town who might be worrying about me. I ought to head back…"

"Oh. I understand. I apologise for troubling you." Marielle replied with a bow. "I do wish I could make it up to you somehow. Is there not anything I could do for you?"

Lina saw the girl's desire to give a token of her appreciation, and her eyes went straight to the girl's jewellery. It… wouldn't be wrong to take some of it as a gift in thanks for her services, would it? After all, Marielle did seem to really want to do something to show her appreciation. And it would make up for the fact that Lina hadn't gotten anything from the bandits…

"Well, I suppose there is one thing." Lina sighed.

"Oh, pray tell!" Marielle exclaimed with a smile.

"Well… I do really like some of that jewellery that you're wearing…"

Marielle seemed to contemplate this for a moment, and replied with some hesitation. "It is jewellery that you want?"

"Just one piece… or maybe two…" Lina replied. "Nothing too fancy, just… a necklace, and perhaps a ring? You already have so many, and… well…"

Marielle gave a small sigh. "Well, you did prevent me from the inconvenience of having to fight off those ruffians myself. I suppose that I could surely spare some of my jewellery in order to properly thank you. After all, I have plans for tonight, and wasting time with such uncouth thugs would have cost me a great deal of time and effort. Here- choose any piece you like. Though, the parasol I cannot give you, I am afraid…"

Lina grinned. "Don't worry! I don't have any use for a fancy umbrella anyway! Now, let's see… what do I want…?" She examined the necklaces carefully. They were mostly elaborate- except for one that seemed to simply be an amethyst pendant on a simple chain. A normal person might not be drawn to it, but Lina's powerful merchant instincts told her that the simplicity most likely hid great value of some kind. Lina picked up the crystal.

"This one…" she murmured. "It's kind of plain."

"Oh, that one? You can have that if you would like. It is supposed to be a magical gem that aids healing, but I have no use for it other than as an accessory." Marielle replied.

"Really? Awesome!" Lina exclaimed. "And can I see your rings too?"

"Um… of course…" Marielle sighed, holding out one hand and then the other. Lina examined them. There were many different kinds… she pointed to a thick gold one with small pink gemstones. "Where did this come from?"

"That ring? I received it as a gift from a Duchess of the Ruvinagald Kingdom. You like it?" Marielle replied with a smile.

Lina shuddered. Ruvinagald Kingdom? That was a ring that she did not want! "Um… I'm not sure…" She found another ring- a simple one, with a deep blue stone that glinted with a star-shaped pattern when the light fell on it. Whatever jeweller had cut it had certainly been skilled. The silver band of the ring was elaborately made, and engraved with beautiful symbols that Lina couldn't read. "This one is gorgeous." Lina said.

"Oh… th-that one…?" Marielle murmured hesitantly. Lina noted the girl's reluctance to give her the ring, and it only added to her interest in it. Was it because it was particularly valuable? Unknowingly, Marielle immediately answered her question. "I do not really mind… but this one is new… I just got it from a friend… I have not had a chance to wear it very many places, but if you have your heart set on it…"

"Well… what about this purple one?" Lina asked, pointing to a light purple ring carved entirely out of a somewhat translucent amethyst stone.

"Oh, that one? That is a nice one too. It would look good on you, I think." Marielle replied.

"Thanks…" Lina murmured, looking back and forth between the purple and blue rings. The purple one was nice in its simplicity- much like the necklace- but the blue one had the beautiful engraving and the masterful gem-cutting. It wasn't a very hard decision for Lina, once she figured that out. "Sorry, but I really like that blue one." Lina said.

"Of course." Marielle sighed, slipping the ring off her finger and giving it to Lina. "You did save me much time and effort, after all. And I have not had this ring long enough to become attached to it. It is yours."

"Well, thanks a bunch! This is amazing of you!" Lina exclaimed happily.

"Of course." Marielle bowed. "Well, if you will excuse me, I must be going. It looks as though it might rain, and my sister would be unhappy if I were to get wet. This parasol is not a very good umbrella, I am afraid…"

"Then you'd better hurry! Bye now! And don't get captured by bandits again!" Lina called after the girl.

"I certainly will be more careful!" Marielle waved, walking through the gate and causing it to close behind her.

Examining her newfound treasures, Lina made her way back to the town where she knew that her friends would be waiting for her.

"Hey, Lina! Did you find something cool?"

Gourry seemed unfazed by the fact that Lina had been out all day. He was busy eating dinner- without her, Lina noted with annoyance.

"Yeah, I found a few things." she said cryptically, sitting down and grabbing the menu to figure out what she wanted to order- or perhaps the easier question of what she didn't want to order.

"Like what?" the little boy at the end of the table asked, looking up from a small bowl of soup.

"I'll tell you all about it, just be patient." Lina chided. "Are you feeling better, Zara?"

"Much better!" the boy answered in his normal, perky tone.

"He slept all day. I think anyone would feel better after getting that much sleep." Gourry commented.

"Well that's a good thing, because we're terribly behind on your lessons." Lina said as she pointed out to the waitress all the sections of the menu from which she'd like several helpings of food. The waitress scampered off, looking as though she wasn't all that enthusiastic about informing the chef that the tall, blonde customer had a girlfriend with a similar appetite.

"So, Lina, what kept you out so long?" Gourry asked after the waitress left.

"The bandits that I found had kidnapped a little girl who lives nearby. I walked her home, to make sure that she was alright."

"How old was she?" Zara asked curiously. "Was she nice?"

"She looked to be about 8 or 9." Lina replied. "And she was... well, I won't say 'nice'… perhaps 'polite' would be a better term."

"Polite but not nice?" Gourry asked, looking as though he were having trouble wrapping his mind around that description. "How does that work?"

Lina paused for a moment. "Well… she was extremely polite, but she had this really cold-hearted feel to her. I asked her about her parents, and she told me outright that they were dead, with no apparent emotional connection to them. She told me that she never really knew them, but still- you'd think that she would have some sort of reaction."

"Was that the only reason you thought she was cold-hearted?"Gourry asked. "There could be lots of reasons for that sort of behaviour."

"But the way she talked, you would think that I had saved her from a minor inconvenience, not saved her life." Lina sighed.

"Maybe she was a sorceress and could have taken on the bandits herself. Could you tell if she had a powerful magic capacity?" Zara suggested.

"Perhaps. I know that she can use some sort of magic, because the gate to her house opened in response to a magical signature that she'd created." Lina replied.

"Her house had a magic gate? How big was the house?" Gourry questioned.

"Oh, you know… kind of normal… for a mansion, I mean."

"Mansion?" both Gourry and Zara gaped at Lina.

"Yeah. I'm thinking she was some sort of aristocrat, judging from her long name. Marielle Something-or-other Arcarti."

"Something-or-other?" Gourry raised an eyebrow.

"The girl had, like, four middle names! You can't expect me to remember them all! It's irrelevant to the situation!"

Zara gasped. "Four middle names? Even Amelia only has two! That's amazing!"

"So, if she was so polite, did she thank you?" Gourry asked.

Lina grinned. "She certainly did."

She pulled the pieces of jewellery out of her pocket, depositing them on the table. Gourry and Zara looked in amazement at them. Lina chuckled to herself as she watched the two grab for the necklace and the ring respectively. An idiot and a little kid- of course they'd be drawn to shiny things.

"What is this, anyway?" Gourry asked, swinging the pendant around.

"Be careful with that." Lina snapped. "It's a necklace. I think it contains some sort of magical energy, but I haven't figured out what it is yet."

"This is a pretty ring. The stone looks like sapphire." Zara commented, turning it around in his hand.

"Yeah, and it has some sort of unintelligible inscription around it. I'd love to figure out what it says." Lina nodded, beginning to go off on a tangent, her excitement growing as she tossed out ideas. "Perhaps it's the incantation to some sort of spell, or even better- an amplification spell that functions similar to my talismans and can power up any kind of spell-"

"It's written in Old Seyruun." Zara interrupted. "I'm not very fluent in the old dialect, but it looks to read something along the lines of 'hearts that love Justice, forever connected' or something similar to that."

"Drat. I thought it was something cool." Lina growled, slightly annoyed.

"You know, that sounds like something Amelia would say." Gourry chuckled.

Lina laughed in response, and the conversation took a light-hearted turn as they remembered funny stories and laughed about various jokes and such. The food Lina ordered arrived, and she ravenously dug into it.

A timid voice came from across the table, grabbing Lina and Gourry's attention.

"E-excuse me. Are you Lina Inverse and Gourry Gabriev?"

Lina jerked her head around to stare angrily at the person who dared interrupt her meal. "What do you want?" she growled.

"A-a letter came in for you today." the woman stammered, placing the envelope on the table and running away as fast as possible.

"You really scared her." Gourry commented, watching the woman run. "Be a little nicer, Lina."

"Well, she's the one who interrupted my meal." Lina defended. Still, her curiosity got the better of her, and she pushed her fifth plate aside to look at the envelope. "I wonder how they knew where to find us. We haven't exactly been in one place for a while." She carefully pulled the envelope open, and unfolded the letter. Reading it several times, Lina's brow furrowed uncertainly.

"Who's it from?" Gourry asked.

"It's from Phil… he wants us to come to Seyruun City as quickly as possible."

"Why?" Zara asked.

"I don't know. He just says that it's important that we get there as soon as we can." Lina replied, putting down the letter. "I wonder why…"

"Maybe they're throwing us a surprise party." Gourry suggested.

Lina shot him a sceptical glare. "A surprise party for what?"

Gourry shrugged. "I don't know. A birthday party, maybe?"

"Whose birthday is it? Not mine." Lina argued, beginning to get back into her dinner.

"Maybe it's mine and I just forgot." Gourry suggested.

Lina and Zara stared at him.

"Gourry, it's not your birthday. I know when your birthday is." Lina stated, attempting to keep calm.

"Oh, okay! So do I!" Gourry nodded with a smile. Lina clenched her teeth and focused her attention on her food.

Stay calm, Lina. You can't strangle him in front of the kid… she told herself.

"Maybe there's going to be a wedding or something." said kid suggested.

"For Zel and Amelia?" Lina laughed, tousling the boy's hair. "Not likely. They already set a date, and I doubt that Zel is going to allow himself to be pulled into it any earlier. Besides, the Seyruun family is a stickler for pomp and ceremony. They wouldn't arrange a wedding on such short notice- especially a royal wedding."

"Then what do you think?" Gourry asked

Lina shrugged. "I don't know. But in any case… I guess this means that we need to go to Seyruun."

Gourry nodded. "I guess so."

Zara smiled. "Whatever you say, Lina."

Satisfied, Lina sat back and finished her dinner, looking forward to browsing the dessert menu.

(A/N: Okay… very different first chapter. I decided that this might be a better arrangement of the events than what I had originally- I prefer it this way, with Marielle being introduced up front, and then the problem afterword. If you get the chance to review, I'd love to know what you think! But thank you for just reading! ^_^)