Kryptonite
By Kanshisha Tenshi
Disclaimer: I do not own Slayers, although it would be cool if I did. I do
not own the song "Kryptonite," it is by 3 Doors Down. It would be cool if I
were in the band, but if I owned the song I'd be out spending my millions
of dollars instead of typing songfics. Don't sue me.
::I took a walk around the world to ease my troubled mind::
Lina stormed out of the inn. She just needed to get some fresh air right now. How dare he? She thought in her rage. How dare he just dump me like that? It's not fair! Unknowingly she walked past the city's boundaries and into a deep forest. Looking up from her mental tirade, she found herself surrounded by a dense thicket of trees. She sighed and turned around to find her way back. She couldn't find her way back, however, and she searched fruitlessly for the city she had come from for hours. Finally she discovered a bandit camp. "All right," she thought out loud, "first I'll ask directions and then I'll Dragon Slave them and take their treasure. I'll be feasting when I get back to the inn." Unbeknownst to Lina, the bandit camp was full of powerful mages. The entire camp, in fact, consisted of nothing but mages. Their dark powers had earned them a name that has gone into the nearby town's history books in infamy. They were called the Roba-ana. Lina, unfortunately, hadn't heard any warnings about them, and so stumbled into a fistful of trouble.
::I left my body lying somewhere in the sands of time::
"All right, which way do I have to go to get back to Mauverina City?" she yelled, loud enough to get the attention of every single bandit-mage in the encampment. As one, they turned and glared at the petite sorceress; she sighed, and charged up a Fireball. "Do I have to repeat myself?" she called challengingly. The men walked slowly, deliberately, towards her, some with weapons in hands, some trusting their magic to help them. "Who wants to know?" demanded the leader, who had stepped out of his hut and was standing directly in front of her. He had a cocky smirk on his face, with scars covering his entire body from previous fights, making him look as tough as he probably was. He was tall, muscular, with blonde hair that brought out the sparkle in his green eyes. He was dressed in mainly midnight blue and black, with a hefty sword at his side. "Lina Inverse wants to know," she retorted, tossing her wild red hair over her shoulder and glaring defiantly into the man's eyes. Both of his eyebrows raised, the bandit leader looked her over, then laughed. "Such a small girl as you is the infamous bandit-slaying Lina Inverse?" he asked incredulously. After a few seconds of her glaring, he sighed. "Oh, well. I'll just have to destroy you, 'Lina Inverse,' and then we shall truly rule over this pitiful planet." He smirked at her, and she just smiled right back; confident to the end, she was. A battle ensued, many of the bandits ending up meeting their makers. Like the reaper, she fought, sending spell after spell in a wave at the men until the rest of the living backed off. All of them, that is, except the leader. "Show me what you've got, criminal," Lina spat at the man. A cocky smirk graced his features, leaving Lina bemused. He simply strode briskly over to her and sprinkled a strange, pleasantly-scented dust into her eyes. She staggered back, wiping furiously at her eyes, cursing herself for not foreseeing this. If Gourry hadn't gone so far with his insults on her figure, none of this would have happened, she reflected, still scrubbing at her eyes. The bandits, seeing her weakened state, surrounded the poor sorceress. The last thing she consciously remembered was being hit with something--hard. Very, very hard. Her body fell limply to the earth, grains of sand flying somewhat into the air. Time stood still as the bandit leader picked the girl up, and, kissing her, placed a strong binding spell upon her. "Puppet," he breathed, and she knew no more.
::I watched the world float through the dark side of the moon::
The next few days she would never remember, but could clearly see. Through her own eyes Lina watched as she, under the Puppet spell of the bandit leader, terrorized cities and towns. She was acting like the worst of the Mazoku, and there was nothing her subconscious could do about it. Her actions were so cruel it shook her deep to the core. All around her the people fled. She had truly earned the nickname "Enemy of All Who Live." And she was dying on the inside.
::I feel there's nothing I can do...Yeah::
If her companions hadn't said what they had, none of this would have happened. These innocent people would still be alive, and they'd be off somewhere hunting down bandits such as the ones that had captured and corrupted her. She was powerless to negate the effects of the Puppet spell. What made it truly unbearable was that, every night when she had finished haunting the people of a nearby village and ransacking their money, the bandit leader, whose name was Xen, would try to win her. He would approach her, smother her with kisses, and offer her a chance to reign at her side. He would even loosen the intangible bonds of the spell long enough for her to answer freely. No, she would say, her heart belongs to someone else. Someone who would undoubtedly find her and save her from this nightmare. Someone with lavender hair, sapphire eyes, light blue skin made of rock with darker blue pebbles scattered haphazardly over his body, someone who was skilled with a sword, witty, and a great companion... Someone who would never hurt her the way Gourry had when he had dumped her.
::I watched the world float through the dark side of the moon::
Zelgadis, Amelia and Gourry slunk through the town, crouching behind torn rocks and demolished buildings, making their way toward the center of the destruction. That would be where the cause was awaiting them, the person who had done all of this. Zelgadis felt a lump form in the pit of his stomach as they crept nearer to the lone figure, a girl who stood gazing over the mass destruction with her fiery red hair blowing softly in the cool breeze... Suddenly he couldn't move. He was frozen, paralyzed--with fear and realization. How could he bear to hurt her? This just wasn't like her...there had to be some sort of explanation for her behavior. There just had to.
::After all I knew it had to be something to do with you::
"Mr. Zelgadis," Amelia hissed at him, "come on! Don't just stand there! That's Ms. Lina! We'll need your help in bringing her down!" The lump in his stomach grew bigger and more painful. He couldn't do it. He couldn't bear to hurt her. Sure, Lina was destructive, but...this? This wasn't like her! It was too out of character for her to cause all this pain and suffering...
::I really don't mind what happens now and then::
Lina saw them come at her, heard the chants of a spell and the battle cry as a sword was coming at her. It was the Sword of Light, the one she'd been so eager to have and hold. And maybe sell. And the one bringing it down on her was the one who had already hurt her. Hadn't he hurt her enough? Amelia's spell didn't hit her, for she blocked it with a Dragon Slave. Out of the corner of her eye, Lina saw Xen standing in the shadows of a building, watching, smiling, waiting. Perhaps he wanted her to corrupt her friends, as well, and they would be absolutely unbeatable. Not if she could help it. She struggled mentally against the chains that had been forged around her, bending her to Xen's will. She had no such luck in breaking free. She finally gave up and watched as she gave her friends a beating they'd remember. Despair washed through her. How was she going to get free of this and kill that madman Xen if her friends died here? She looked around desperately for Zelgadis and found him standing behind the crumbling wall of a building, staring at her in shock. Using all of her willpower, she managed to say a few words to them. "Stop...me...he's...Puppet...kill me...knock me...out...do...something...." Her words sounded somewhat unintelligible, but fortunately, Gourry was a skilled interpreter when it came to unintelligible messages and stupid sayings. Dodging a minor Dragon Slave, he made his way toward Amelia and pulled her back to where Zel stood. They crouched down low, concealed by the wall, and using their concealment to their advantage, found a new hiding spot. Hopefully this had bought them more time, considering Lina couldn't see where they had headed. "We have to knock her out," he informed them. "She's under some sort of spell." Zelgadis felt strangely relieved at the news, but also concerned. "It's the Puppet spell," he said. "We have to get her unconscious so the spell can wear off." The group nodded and they split up. Amelia would be casting a spell in the center, behind the crumbling wall, and the two swordsmen would attack from either side of Lina. Or, they would distract her and maybe try to hit her just hard enough to knock her out. The men reached her at the same time. Quickly the petite sorceress cast Ray Wing and levitated just above their reached in the magic bubble. Just as she was powering up a large Fireball to take them out, a single word resounded throughout the ruins: "Sleeping!" Lina lost control of the Ray Wing and plummeted to the earth, only to be caught by the ever-ready arms of Zelgadis.
::As long as you'll be my friend in the end::
Lina awoke in the middle of a large clearing in a forest. She didn't recognize her surroundings and it took a moment for her to take in her surroundings. Trees everywhere, a fire surrounded by three people, and she was halfway inside a tent, facing out. Her companions looked over, saw she was awake and smile brightly. She vaguely remembered who they were. For, you see, she was still under the Puppet spell. The only way for her to be released was if Xen chose to let her go. Or if he was killed. Neither of which would be an easy accomplishment. Of course, how were her friends to know how to release her? Fortunate for Lina, however, Xen had been left back a few miles and so he was still searching for her. And without her being in earshot, he temporarily had no control over her. That didn't stop the blank expression on her face. "Mr. Zelgadis, there's something wrong with Ms. Lina," Amelia whispered to Zel. "Yeah, she hasn't hit me once so far," Gourry agreed, munching on a bit of cheese. Zelgadis, being the concerned best friend to Lina that he was, immediately stood up and strolled over to Lina. "Are you all right, Lina?" he whispered. She didn't respond, just stared blankly at him. She was exhausted. Silently she prayed that someone would come along that could explain to them how to help her... As if hearing her prayers, Xellos appeared, looked down at her, and dropped his trademark cheery facade. "What's wrong with her?" he demanded of Zelgadis. "We don't know," the chimera replied. "She was destroying everything when we came to her. We had to knock her out to stop her. I suspect the Puppet spell at work. But I don't understand; she should have been released by now." Xellos rolled his eyes, unseen by his companions due to the simple fact that his eyes were still closed. "In order to negate the effects of the Puppet spell you have to kill the caster." Zelgadis frowned at Xellos. "Oh, all right, you don't always have to kill them. Force them to release the spell and she's free. Of course, anyone that wants to corrupt our dear Lina is about as low as I am." "So, what you're saying is it's better to kill them than let them live if they choose to use Lina for the purpose of evil," Zelgadis said. "Now all we need to do is find the masochist who did this and wring his neck." "My, my, Zel, you sure are violent," Xellos said with mock surprise. Zelgadis merely scowled at him and gathered up his belongings. "Let's go. The quicker we get started in our search for that...masochistic bastard, the quicker we can save Lina." The chimera gathered up his belongings and, not looking behind to see if his companions were following, gathered up Lina in his arms and walked away from camp. Amelia, Gourry, and a curious Xellos followed the man, only a pace behind. Zelgadis wasn't about to let some creep wander into Lina's life and steal her away from them--him, especially.
::If I go crazy then will you still call me 'Superman'?::
It wasn't long before the group met up with Lina's controller. He was waiting for them, in fact, with a few other bandits, behind a cluster of pine trees just outside the forest. "Well, well," said Xen, looking over the group of friends. "Look what we have here. Now, just be a good little boy," he said, addressing Zel, "and hand over my woman, and no one will get hurt. There's a good lad." Zel fumed. His woman? Zel thought in despair, looking from Xen to the drowsy Lina and back again. Never. Lina would never fall in love with the likes of the bandit. Meanwhile, Xen was leering at Lina, who was powerless to do anything but stare straight back at him blankly. "Come here, my puppet," Xen cooed, beckoning Lina towards him. Hesitant, she obeyed. Xen smirked, looking victoriously at Zelgadis, who was clenching a fist and gritting his teeth. "Let her go," came the simple command from the outraged chimera. "Now." "Well, let me think about it," the bandit leader calmly replied, pretending to consider the situation. "No." "Why are you doing this to her?" cried Amelia, tired of all this lack of justice. "Because I can. Because I feel like it. Because I want to. Because I want to rule the world. Because she's a powerful weapon and tool in my plans to take over this petty planet. Take your pick of reasons." Amelia's eyes widened. "T-that's quite a list..." "Why, thank you. Would you care for more reasons?" "No!" "Oh, you're no fun. Lina, kill them all," he said nonchalantly. Lina hesitated, once more resisting the spell, but her body responded to the command, bringing the dreaded Dragon Slave to life between her outstretched hands. Her friends paled and bolted behind the cover of trees, moving quickly from tree to tree so she wouldn't know where to aim the spell; finally, they ended up scrambling behind her as she cast the spell; Xellos merely teleported out of harm's way... ...Only to reappear behind Xen, who he pulled into a headlock. Zelgadis grabbed Lina from behind, while Amelia and Gourry quickly dispatched of the other bandits. Lina thrashed and flailed in Zelgadis's grip, trying desperately to get away by command of Xen. Held firm by Zel's vice-like grip, she failed. Her body aching to fulfill its orders, she bit and screamed and kicked and punched wildly, waiting for the moment she would be released by accident. It didn't happen. "Calm down, Lina," Zel murmured, increasing his tight hold over her. "It's all right. Calm down. You know me. You're with friends. I'm going to get you out of this," he vowed.
::If I'm alive and well, will you be there, holding my hand?::
He unconsciously grabbed hold of her hand, squeezing it reassuringly as Lina started to calm down. He looked over his shoulder at Xellos, who had ruthlessly tightened his death grip. The farther Xen slipped from life, Zelgadis reasoned, the less of a hold he has on Lina. Grimly he held the squirming Lina, holding her hand, squeezing it every now and then. From a distance it would appear that they were simply hugging, playing a game perhaps. "Z-Zel?" Lina murmured. "Zel, is that...you?" "Yes, Lina," Zelgadis soothed. "I'm here. Are you...normal again?" "I'm getting there...Zel, stay with me. Please," she pleaded. He nodded solemnly and released her cautiously, still holding her.
::I'll keep you by my side with my super-human might::
Meanwhile, Xellos was having the time of his life feasting off of the pain Xen exhibited. The man was pleading for his life. "Please, spare me...I'll share my reign with you...we could rule over all, and you could kill whosoever you wanted to...so many subjects...so much we could do...so many lives we could ruin..." "Ah, but you see, my friend, I don't need to use Lina to accomplish my tasks...all the time. If I wanted to, I could do it all myself. And," he added, further tightening his grip, "I don't share power with anyone. Especially you. Goodbye." And with that, Xellos charged up negative energy, firing it directly into the bandit leader's neck. The man's eyes widened; his body convulsed as if being electrified; he started to have seizures; and then he simply ceased to move at all, his limp form falling into a crumpled heap at Xellos's feet. The man called Xen lived no more. Xellos smirked, admiring his handiwork. Lina's eyes slowly closed; she fell unconscious, exhaustion from being overworked by the bandits finally catching up with her.
::Kryptonite::
Zelgadis smiled faintly down at Lina, one of those rare smiles he saved especially for her. What a shame she can't see it, he thought sadly. She loves it when I smile.
::You called me strong, you called me weak, but still your secrets I will keep::
Somewhere there was a waterfall surrounded by lush plants and much wildlife. A deer idly wanders to the pool of water at the base of the waterfall, taking a sip of the pure liquid. Birds chirp blissfully in the trees while bugs buzz by, the heat of the sun making the setting sleepy and euphoric. Somewhere there is peace. This somewhere is not the inn Gourry, Lina, Amelia and Zelgadis were staying at. Xellos had teleported in and they were all enjoying breakfast; Zelgadis sipped his coffee; Amelia ate her plate of pancakes and eggs, the inn's specialty; Xellos feasted upon the negative emotions kindly provided by the moody chimera sitting next to him; and Lina and Gourry fought over any and all types of food on the table. "Gourry, give that back! That's mine!" "You don't need anymore food, Lina. Your stomach's big enough; you need to work on your chest!" Lina's right eye twitched at the comment the dim-witted swordsman made. "Oh, Gourry..." Lina began. "Yes?" "Fireball!" Gourry lay unconscious beside his chair at the table, clothing singed. The rest of the table's occupants sighed, while any onlookers stared in disbelief. Lina stood up. "It's that sort of comment that drove me away in the first place," she stated firmly. "Don't ever let him repeat that same mistake or I may not be able to control myself. Let's go." As they were heading out of the inn--Lina purposely left Gourry behind, knowing he'd catch up sooner or later--Zelgadis turned to speak with the Trickster Priest. "Why did you help us back there?" "That is a secret." Zelgadis cringed inwardly and smacked him.
::You took for granted all the times I've never let you down::
"Ouch. Now, really, Zelgadis, is that really the way to treat your savior? After all, have I ever let you down?" "More times than I can count." "That's beside the point. You can always count on me. I'm always there for you. Yet you, my friend, have never appreciated my help. I've saved the whole lot of you plenty of times and the thanks I get is plain and simple disregard?" The Mazoku faked a tear, sniffling indignantly. "Why, I've never met any group of people as ungrateful as you! How rude." "Put a sock in it, fruitcake," Zelgadis mumbled. Then, having had enough of the Mazoku's idiocy, he quickened his pace and strode onwards beside Lina.
::You stumbled in and bumped your head::
It was nearing sundown when Gourry finally caught up to him. The group was settled down for the night, tents up and fish roasting over a well-tended fire. Xellos, Lina and Amelia were sitting close to the fire while Zelgadis sat off to one side, leaning against a tree, arms folded across his chest. Gourry stumbled over to Lina, out of breath. "Hey, Lina! Why didn't you wait for me? I looked for you all day!" To this Lina grumbled something incoherent, glaring straight ahead at the fire. "Oh, I'm sorry, Gourry," she replied with false sweetness, putting on a cheery facade. "I had forgotten you were back at the inn. Honestly, I thought you were with us the entire time. The only difference I noticed was a lack of talking." "You talk more than anyone, Miss Lina," Amelia pointed out, earning a sharp glare from the redhead. Amelia inwardly cringed, crawling away from the sorceress as fast as she could before bodily harm was inflicted upon anyone. "She's right," Gourry agreed, nodding. It was then that he noticed the fish cooking over the fire. "Hey, is that done yet?" Before he could receive a reply, he snatched the fish up and started chewing on it, grinning like a fool the entire time. "Hey, Gourry, that was mine!" Lina shouted. She jumped onto the swordsman and started pulling on his hair with her right hand, all the while reaching for the fish with her left hand. "Give it back! I mean it!" Gourry shook his head firmly, eating the last morsel of the fish and throwing the bones to the ground, as well as throwing Lina off of him. Lina recovered swiftly, rising to her feet, eyes turned cold. She fumed, glaring at the swordsman, death in her gaze. "Darkness beyond twilight, crimson beyond blood that flows, buried in the flow of time..." Zelgadis hastily retreated from his tree seat lest he get obliterated. "In thy great name, I pledge myself to darkness! All the fools who stand in our way shall be destroyed, by the power you and I possess..." A sphere of crackling, reddish energy formed between her hands, which she held cupped at her side, her eyes closed with the concentration required for the spell, her hair and cape flying madly behind her. "Lina," Gourry gasped, panicked, "That's the Dragon Slave! Isn't that a little extreme?" Xellos crept up behind Lina and grabbed her by the shoulders. "Now, now, Lina, you shouldn't overreact like that. Now, cancel the spell and settle down. You can take my fish; and, besides, the one Gourry ate didn't have your name on it." For emphasis he pushed her down, into a seated position, in front of the fire, took one of the fish off of its stick, placed it on a plate and handed it to Lina. She grudgingly nibbled on it, frowning and mumbling to herself. Amelia, Zelgadis and Gourry relaxed and grabbed some fish for themselves and ate.
::If not for me, then you'd be dead::
Later that night, Gourry snuck over to Xellos while his friends were asleep in their tents. "Hey, Xellos, thank you." Xellos faced him, an eyebrow raised in question. "For what, Gourry?" "For getting Lina to stop." "Oh, that. Well, you're welcome...not that I didn't mind the anger coming from her, nor the fear coming from you. It was quite delicious, and it was all I could do not to savor it." Gourry blinked. "Oh, never mind, just go to sleep, Gourry." Gourry nodded and headed to his tent. Xellos teleported onto a nearby tree branch and folded his arms across his chest.
::I picked you up and put you back on solid ground::
The next day was uneventful for the traveling companions. They headed toward the city of Tira, on a long, winding road that seemed never to end. When Lina's patience finally failed her, she cast Levitation on the group and flew them to Tira. Gourry was frightened throughout the entire journey, Amelia was watching the sights as she flew, Zelgadis was pondering where he might find his cure, Xellos was annoyed at having a spell cast on him, and Lina was bored.
::If I go crazy then will you still call me 'Superman'?::
Lina was furious. They had gone through all of Tira and found only one inn, when they had been told the town was huge. Their homes and stores were mostly deserted, and the people that lived there were unfriendly. But what really made her mad was the quality of the food. It was terrible, and the food that was the least bit good came in small bits! Her companions were mad because of the quality of the inn. The rooms were messy, smelly, damp and cold. The beds were hard and had few coverings. And for all this bothersome mess, they were charged more than at most other inns. "They could use the money," Xellos grumbled. "Maybe then they can afford common sense."
::If I'm alive and well, will you be there, holding my hand?::
"This place is disgusting," Amelia complained, pouting and pushing her plate away. The five friends were sitting around one of the desolate inn's tables, some scowling and some frowning. "I agree," said Zelgadis, who was one of the people scowling. Gourry looked sick. "This stuff is going to kill me," he whined.
::I'll keep you by my side with my super-human might.::
"Miss Lina, can we please go now? Please?" Amelia begged the older sorceress. Her back was hurting, her legs were hurting, her head was hurting, and she had cramps in places she didn't know she had. The inn's beds were as unfriendly to her as the villagers, if not more so. "Amelia, what have I told you a million times already?" Lina asked, rolling her eyes. "It's either this or outside, and at least this place has a hot bath!" "But, Miss Lina, a rock is softer than this bed!" Amelia protested. "Amelia, get over it. We've been through a lot worse, and you'll be in MUCH worse pain if you keep me up all night with your whining!" Lina nearly yelled. "You're a big girl, now, a strong one; be strong about it!" And with that, Lina rolled over in her uncomfortable bed and fell asleep.
::Kryptonite.::
The next morning Amelia had decided; it was time to go back to Saillune. She sat down, pulled out a pen and piece of paper, and began writing the note to her friends. When they woke up, her companions found the following message pinned to Lina's inn door:
Fellow friends of Justice and Truth, I, Amelia Wil Telsa Saillune, have decided, once and for all, to end my awe-inspiring expedition. By the time you've awakened and read this note, I will have left for my home in Saillune. My deepest regrets were left with you, for I know you shall miss me greatly. Traveling with you was the best thing I've ever done, and I hope to let our journeys' lessons affect my ruling of Saillune. I truly regret leaving you, Mr. Zelgadis, for I know you shared my feelings for you. I'm sure your heart must be broken by the news of my leaving, but don't despair; you are always welcome in Saillune, at the palace. Mr. Gourry, traveling with you was quite an experience. I was always amazed by your skill with the sword, and even you have taught me many lessons. Ms. Lina, you were my greatest teacher of all. From you I learned never to let anyone push me around. I have become a better person thanks to you. I have always admired, and shall for years to come, your skills and your quest for the fulfillment of justice. Please continue to serve justice to those who need it. I will miss you all. Sincerely, Princess Amelia Wil Telsa Saillune.
A cheer rose from the three reading the letter. Lina and Gourry hugged; then Lina hugged Zelgadis, although this hug lasted longer than the last. Xellos kissed Lina on the cheek, which she promptly smacked him for. "I'm not THAT happy, Mazoku," she growled. That night, Zelgadis pulled her aside and looked at her solemnly. "I meant to tell you this earlier," he began, "after the fight with the bandit leader. But, I was afraid. And I was afraid I'd hurt Amelia's feelings...break her heart." "Zel, are you about to say what I think you're going to say?" "What do you think I'm going to say?" "That you love me, you have loved me for a long time, you want to be with me forever..." "That about covers it," he agreed. "Do you know what I'm going to say?" "Yes. You feel the same way..." "Yep. These stories are always the same, aren't they? I think this is the part where you whisk me off my feet and kiss me," she said dreamily. He nodded, picked her up, and pressed his lips softly against hers.
~Fin~
::I took a walk around the world to ease my troubled mind::
Lina stormed out of the inn. She just needed to get some fresh air right now. How dare he? She thought in her rage. How dare he just dump me like that? It's not fair! Unknowingly she walked past the city's boundaries and into a deep forest. Looking up from her mental tirade, she found herself surrounded by a dense thicket of trees. She sighed and turned around to find her way back. She couldn't find her way back, however, and she searched fruitlessly for the city she had come from for hours. Finally she discovered a bandit camp. "All right," she thought out loud, "first I'll ask directions and then I'll Dragon Slave them and take their treasure. I'll be feasting when I get back to the inn." Unbeknownst to Lina, the bandit camp was full of powerful mages. The entire camp, in fact, consisted of nothing but mages. Their dark powers had earned them a name that has gone into the nearby town's history books in infamy. They were called the Roba-ana. Lina, unfortunately, hadn't heard any warnings about them, and so stumbled into a fistful of trouble.
::I left my body lying somewhere in the sands of time::
"All right, which way do I have to go to get back to Mauverina City?" she yelled, loud enough to get the attention of every single bandit-mage in the encampment. As one, they turned and glared at the petite sorceress; she sighed, and charged up a Fireball. "Do I have to repeat myself?" she called challengingly. The men walked slowly, deliberately, towards her, some with weapons in hands, some trusting their magic to help them. "Who wants to know?" demanded the leader, who had stepped out of his hut and was standing directly in front of her. He had a cocky smirk on his face, with scars covering his entire body from previous fights, making him look as tough as he probably was. He was tall, muscular, with blonde hair that brought out the sparkle in his green eyes. He was dressed in mainly midnight blue and black, with a hefty sword at his side. "Lina Inverse wants to know," she retorted, tossing her wild red hair over her shoulder and glaring defiantly into the man's eyes. Both of his eyebrows raised, the bandit leader looked her over, then laughed. "Such a small girl as you is the infamous bandit-slaying Lina Inverse?" he asked incredulously. After a few seconds of her glaring, he sighed. "Oh, well. I'll just have to destroy you, 'Lina Inverse,' and then we shall truly rule over this pitiful planet." He smirked at her, and she just smiled right back; confident to the end, she was. A battle ensued, many of the bandits ending up meeting their makers. Like the reaper, she fought, sending spell after spell in a wave at the men until the rest of the living backed off. All of them, that is, except the leader. "Show me what you've got, criminal," Lina spat at the man. A cocky smirk graced his features, leaving Lina bemused. He simply strode briskly over to her and sprinkled a strange, pleasantly-scented dust into her eyes. She staggered back, wiping furiously at her eyes, cursing herself for not foreseeing this. If Gourry hadn't gone so far with his insults on her figure, none of this would have happened, she reflected, still scrubbing at her eyes. The bandits, seeing her weakened state, surrounded the poor sorceress. The last thing she consciously remembered was being hit with something--hard. Very, very hard. Her body fell limply to the earth, grains of sand flying somewhat into the air. Time stood still as the bandit leader picked the girl up, and, kissing her, placed a strong binding spell upon her. "Puppet," he breathed, and she knew no more.
::I watched the world float through the dark side of the moon::
The next few days she would never remember, but could clearly see. Through her own eyes Lina watched as she, under the Puppet spell of the bandit leader, terrorized cities and towns. She was acting like the worst of the Mazoku, and there was nothing her subconscious could do about it. Her actions were so cruel it shook her deep to the core. All around her the people fled. She had truly earned the nickname "Enemy of All Who Live." And she was dying on the inside.
::I feel there's nothing I can do...Yeah::
If her companions hadn't said what they had, none of this would have happened. These innocent people would still be alive, and they'd be off somewhere hunting down bandits such as the ones that had captured and corrupted her. She was powerless to negate the effects of the Puppet spell. What made it truly unbearable was that, every night when she had finished haunting the people of a nearby village and ransacking their money, the bandit leader, whose name was Xen, would try to win her. He would approach her, smother her with kisses, and offer her a chance to reign at her side. He would even loosen the intangible bonds of the spell long enough for her to answer freely. No, she would say, her heart belongs to someone else. Someone who would undoubtedly find her and save her from this nightmare. Someone with lavender hair, sapphire eyes, light blue skin made of rock with darker blue pebbles scattered haphazardly over his body, someone who was skilled with a sword, witty, and a great companion... Someone who would never hurt her the way Gourry had when he had dumped her.
::I watched the world float through the dark side of the moon::
Zelgadis, Amelia and Gourry slunk through the town, crouching behind torn rocks and demolished buildings, making their way toward the center of the destruction. That would be where the cause was awaiting them, the person who had done all of this. Zelgadis felt a lump form in the pit of his stomach as they crept nearer to the lone figure, a girl who stood gazing over the mass destruction with her fiery red hair blowing softly in the cool breeze... Suddenly he couldn't move. He was frozen, paralyzed--with fear and realization. How could he bear to hurt her? This just wasn't like her...there had to be some sort of explanation for her behavior. There just had to.
::After all I knew it had to be something to do with you::
"Mr. Zelgadis," Amelia hissed at him, "come on! Don't just stand there! That's Ms. Lina! We'll need your help in bringing her down!" The lump in his stomach grew bigger and more painful. He couldn't do it. He couldn't bear to hurt her. Sure, Lina was destructive, but...this? This wasn't like her! It was too out of character for her to cause all this pain and suffering...
::I really don't mind what happens now and then::
Lina saw them come at her, heard the chants of a spell and the battle cry as a sword was coming at her. It was the Sword of Light, the one she'd been so eager to have and hold. And maybe sell. And the one bringing it down on her was the one who had already hurt her. Hadn't he hurt her enough? Amelia's spell didn't hit her, for she blocked it with a Dragon Slave. Out of the corner of her eye, Lina saw Xen standing in the shadows of a building, watching, smiling, waiting. Perhaps he wanted her to corrupt her friends, as well, and they would be absolutely unbeatable. Not if she could help it. She struggled mentally against the chains that had been forged around her, bending her to Xen's will. She had no such luck in breaking free. She finally gave up and watched as she gave her friends a beating they'd remember. Despair washed through her. How was she going to get free of this and kill that madman Xen if her friends died here? She looked around desperately for Zelgadis and found him standing behind the crumbling wall of a building, staring at her in shock. Using all of her willpower, she managed to say a few words to them. "Stop...me...he's...Puppet...kill me...knock me...out...do...something...." Her words sounded somewhat unintelligible, but fortunately, Gourry was a skilled interpreter when it came to unintelligible messages and stupid sayings. Dodging a minor Dragon Slave, he made his way toward Amelia and pulled her back to where Zel stood. They crouched down low, concealed by the wall, and using their concealment to their advantage, found a new hiding spot. Hopefully this had bought them more time, considering Lina couldn't see where they had headed. "We have to knock her out," he informed them. "She's under some sort of spell." Zelgadis felt strangely relieved at the news, but also concerned. "It's the Puppet spell," he said. "We have to get her unconscious so the spell can wear off." The group nodded and they split up. Amelia would be casting a spell in the center, behind the crumbling wall, and the two swordsmen would attack from either side of Lina. Or, they would distract her and maybe try to hit her just hard enough to knock her out. The men reached her at the same time. Quickly the petite sorceress cast Ray Wing and levitated just above their reached in the magic bubble. Just as she was powering up a large Fireball to take them out, a single word resounded throughout the ruins: "Sleeping!" Lina lost control of the Ray Wing and plummeted to the earth, only to be caught by the ever-ready arms of Zelgadis.
::As long as you'll be my friend in the end::
Lina awoke in the middle of a large clearing in a forest. She didn't recognize her surroundings and it took a moment for her to take in her surroundings. Trees everywhere, a fire surrounded by three people, and she was halfway inside a tent, facing out. Her companions looked over, saw she was awake and smile brightly. She vaguely remembered who they were. For, you see, she was still under the Puppet spell. The only way for her to be released was if Xen chose to let her go. Or if he was killed. Neither of which would be an easy accomplishment. Of course, how were her friends to know how to release her? Fortunate for Lina, however, Xen had been left back a few miles and so he was still searching for her. And without her being in earshot, he temporarily had no control over her. That didn't stop the blank expression on her face. "Mr. Zelgadis, there's something wrong with Ms. Lina," Amelia whispered to Zel. "Yeah, she hasn't hit me once so far," Gourry agreed, munching on a bit of cheese. Zelgadis, being the concerned best friend to Lina that he was, immediately stood up and strolled over to Lina. "Are you all right, Lina?" he whispered. She didn't respond, just stared blankly at him. She was exhausted. Silently she prayed that someone would come along that could explain to them how to help her... As if hearing her prayers, Xellos appeared, looked down at her, and dropped his trademark cheery facade. "What's wrong with her?" he demanded of Zelgadis. "We don't know," the chimera replied. "She was destroying everything when we came to her. We had to knock her out to stop her. I suspect the Puppet spell at work. But I don't understand; she should have been released by now." Xellos rolled his eyes, unseen by his companions due to the simple fact that his eyes were still closed. "In order to negate the effects of the Puppet spell you have to kill the caster." Zelgadis frowned at Xellos. "Oh, all right, you don't always have to kill them. Force them to release the spell and she's free. Of course, anyone that wants to corrupt our dear Lina is about as low as I am." "So, what you're saying is it's better to kill them than let them live if they choose to use Lina for the purpose of evil," Zelgadis said. "Now all we need to do is find the masochist who did this and wring his neck." "My, my, Zel, you sure are violent," Xellos said with mock surprise. Zelgadis merely scowled at him and gathered up his belongings. "Let's go. The quicker we get started in our search for that...masochistic bastard, the quicker we can save Lina." The chimera gathered up his belongings and, not looking behind to see if his companions were following, gathered up Lina in his arms and walked away from camp. Amelia, Gourry, and a curious Xellos followed the man, only a pace behind. Zelgadis wasn't about to let some creep wander into Lina's life and steal her away from them--him, especially.
::If I go crazy then will you still call me 'Superman'?::
It wasn't long before the group met up with Lina's controller. He was waiting for them, in fact, with a few other bandits, behind a cluster of pine trees just outside the forest. "Well, well," said Xen, looking over the group of friends. "Look what we have here. Now, just be a good little boy," he said, addressing Zel, "and hand over my woman, and no one will get hurt. There's a good lad." Zel fumed. His woman? Zel thought in despair, looking from Xen to the drowsy Lina and back again. Never. Lina would never fall in love with the likes of the bandit. Meanwhile, Xen was leering at Lina, who was powerless to do anything but stare straight back at him blankly. "Come here, my puppet," Xen cooed, beckoning Lina towards him. Hesitant, she obeyed. Xen smirked, looking victoriously at Zelgadis, who was clenching a fist and gritting his teeth. "Let her go," came the simple command from the outraged chimera. "Now." "Well, let me think about it," the bandit leader calmly replied, pretending to consider the situation. "No." "Why are you doing this to her?" cried Amelia, tired of all this lack of justice. "Because I can. Because I feel like it. Because I want to. Because I want to rule the world. Because she's a powerful weapon and tool in my plans to take over this petty planet. Take your pick of reasons." Amelia's eyes widened. "T-that's quite a list..." "Why, thank you. Would you care for more reasons?" "No!" "Oh, you're no fun. Lina, kill them all," he said nonchalantly. Lina hesitated, once more resisting the spell, but her body responded to the command, bringing the dreaded Dragon Slave to life between her outstretched hands. Her friends paled and bolted behind the cover of trees, moving quickly from tree to tree so she wouldn't know where to aim the spell; finally, they ended up scrambling behind her as she cast the spell; Xellos merely teleported out of harm's way... ...Only to reappear behind Xen, who he pulled into a headlock. Zelgadis grabbed Lina from behind, while Amelia and Gourry quickly dispatched of the other bandits. Lina thrashed and flailed in Zelgadis's grip, trying desperately to get away by command of Xen. Held firm by Zel's vice-like grip, she failed. Her body aching to fulfill its orders, she bit and screamed and kicked and punched wildly, waiting for the moment she would be released by accident. It didn't happen. "Calm down, Lina," Zel murmured, increasing his tight hold over her. "It's all right. Calm down. You know me. You're with friends. I'm going to get you out of this," he vowed.
::If I'm alive and well, will you be there, holding my hand?::
He unconsciously grabbed hold of her hand, squeezing it reassuringly as Lina started to calm down. He looked over his shoulder at Xellos, who had ruthlessly tightened his death grip. The farther Xen slipped from life, Zelgadis reasoned, the less of a hold he has on Lina. Grimly he held the squirming Lina, holding her hand, squeezing it every now and then. From a distance it would appear that they were simply hugging, playing a game perhaps. "Z-Zel?" Lina murmured. "Zel, is that...you?" "Yes, Lina," Zelgadis soothed. "I'm here. Are you...normal again?" "I'm getting there...Zel, stay with me. Please," she pleaded. He nodded solemnly and released her cautiously, still holding her.
::I'll keep you by my side with my super-human might::
Meanwhile, Xellos was having the time of his life feasting off of the pain Xen exhibited. The man was pleading for his life. "Please, spare me...I'll share my reign with you...we could rule over all, and you could kill whosoever you wanted to...so many subjects...so much we could do...so many lives we could ruin..." "Ah, but you see, my friend, I don't need to use Lina to accomplish my tasks...all the time. If I wanted to, I could do it all myself. And," he added, further tightening his grip, "I don't share power with anyone. Especially you. Goodbye." And with that, Xellos charged up negative energy, firing it directly into the bandit leader's neck. The man's eyes widened; his body convulsed as if being electrified; he started to have seizures; and then he simply ceased to move at all, his limp form falling into a crumpled heap at Xellos's feet. The man called Xen lived no more. Xellos smirked, admiring his handiwork. Lina's eyes slowly closed; she fell unconscious, exhaustion from being overworked by the bandits finally catching up with her.
::Kryptonite::
Zelgadis smiled faintly down at Lina, one of those rare smiles he saved especially for her. What a shame she can't see it, he thought sadly. She loves it when I smile.
::You called me strong, you called me weak, but still your secrets I will keep::
Somewhere there was a waterfall surrounded by lush plants and much wildlife. A deer idly wanders to the pool of water at the base of the waterfall, taking a sip of the pure liquid. Birds chirp blissfully in the trees while bugs buzz by, the heat of the sun making the setting sleepy and euphoric. Somewhere there is peace. This somewhere is not the inn Gourry, Lina, Amelia and Zelgadis were staying at. Xellos had teleported in and they were all enjoying breakfast; Zelgadis sipped his coffee; Amelia ate her plate of pancakes and eggs, the inn's specialty; Xellos feasted upon the negative emotions kindly provided by the moody chimera sitting next to him; and Lina and Gourry fought over any and all types of food on the table. "Gourry, give that back! That's mine!" "You don't need anymore food, Lina. Your stomach's big enough; you need to work on your chest!" Lina's right eye twitched at the comment the dim-witted swordsman made. "Oh, Gourry..." Lina began. "Yes?" "Fireball!" Gourry lay unconscious beside his chair at the table, clothing singed. The rest of the table's occupants sighed, while any onlookers stared in disbelief. Lina stood up. "It's that sort of comment that drove me away in the first place," she stated firmly. "Don't ever let him repeat that same mistake or I may not be able to control myself. Let's go." As they were heading out of the inn--Lina purposely left Gourry behind, knowing he'd catch up sooner or later--Zelgadis turned to speak with the Trickster Priest. "Why did you help us back there?" "That is a secret." Zelgadis cringed inwardly and smacked him.
::You took for granted all the times I've never let you down::
"Ouch. Now, really, Zelgadis, is that really the way to treat your savior? After all, have I ever let you down?" "More times than I can count." "That's beside the point. You can always count on me. I'm always there for you. Yet you, my friend, have never appreciated my help. I've saved the whole lot of you plenty of times and the thanks I get is plain and simple disregard?" The Mazoku faked a tear, sniffling indignantly. "Why, I've never met any group of people as ungrateful as you! How rude." "Put a sock in it, fruitcake," Zelgadis mumbled. Then, having had enough of the Mazoku's idiocy, he quickened his pace and strode onwards beside Lina.
::You stumbled in and bumped your head::
It was nearing sundown when Gourry finally caught up to him. The group was settled down for the night, tents up and fish roasting over a well-tended fire. Xellos, Lina and Amelia were sitting close to the fire while Zelgadis sat off to one side, leaning against a tree, arms folded across his chest. Gourry stumbled over to Lina, out of breath. "Hey, Lina! Why didn't you wait for me? I looked for you all day!" To this Lina grumbled something incoherent, glaring straight ahead at the fire. "Oh, I'm sorry, Gourry," she replied with false sweetness, putting on a cheery facade. "I had forgotten you were back at the inn. Honestly, I thought you were with us the entire time. The only difference I noticed was a lack of talking." "You talk more than anyone, Miss Lina," Amelia pointed out, earning a sharp glare from the redhead. Amelia inwardly cringed, crawling away from the sorceress as fast as she could before bodily harm was inflicted upon anyone. "She's right," Gourry agreed, nodding. It was then that he noticed the fish cooking over the fire. "Hey, is that done yet?" Before he could receive a reply, he snatched the fish up and started chewing on it, grinning like a fool the entire time. "Hey, Gourry, that was mine!" Lina shouted. She jumped onto the swordsman and started pulling on his hair with her right hand, all the while reaching for the fish with her left hand. "Give it back! I mean it!" Gourry shook his head firmly, eating the last morsel of the fish and throwing the bones to the ground, as well as throwing Lina off of him. Lina recovered swiftly, rising to her feet, eyes turned cold. She fumed, glaring at the swordsman, death in her gaze. "Darkness beyond twilight, crimson beyond blood that flows, buried in the flow of time..." Zelgadis hastily retreated from his tree seat lest he get obliterated. "In thy great name, I pledge myself to darkness! All the fools who stand in our way shall be destroyed, by the power you and I possess..." A sphere of crackling, reddish energy formed between her hands, which she held cupped at her side, her eyes closed with the concentration required for the spell, her hair and cape flying madly behind her. "Lina," Gourry gasped, panicked, "That's the Dragon Slave! Isn't that a little extreme?" Xellos crept up behind Lina and grabbed her by the shoulders. "Now, now, Lina, you shouldn't overreact like that. Now, cancel the spell and settle down. You can take my fish; and, besides, the one Gourry ate didn't have your name on it." For emphasis he pushed her down, into a seated position, in front of the fire, took one of the fish off of its stick, placed it on a plate and handed it to Lina. She grudgingly nibbled on it, frowning and mumbling to herself. Amelia, Zelgadis and Gourry relaxed and grabbed some fish for themselves and ate.
::If not for me, then you'd be dead::
Later that night, Gourry snuck over to Xellos while his friends were asleep in their tents. "Hey, Xellos, thank you." Xellos faced him, an eyebrow raised in question. "For what, Gourry?" "For getting Lina to stop." "Oh, that. Well, you're welcome...not that I didn't mind the anger coming from her, nor the fear coming from you. It was quite delicious, and it was all I could do not to savor it." Gourry blinked. "Oh, never mind, just go to sleep, Gourry." Gourry nodded and headed to his tent. Xellos teleported onto a nearby tree branch and folded his arms across his chest.
::I picked you up and put you back on solid ground::
The next day was uneventful for the traveling companions. They headed toward the city of Tira, on a long, winding road that seemed never to end. When Lina's patience finally failed her, she cast Levitation on the group and flew them to Tira. Gourry was frightened throughout the entire journey, Amelia was watching the sights as she flew, Zelgadis was pondering where he might find his cure, Xellos was annoyed at having a spell cast on him, and Lina was bored.
::If I go crazy then will you still call me 'Superman'?::
Lina was furious. They had gone through all of Tira and found only one inn, when they had been told the town was huge. Their homes and stores were mostly deserted, and the people that lived there were unfriendly. But what really made her mad was the quality of the food. It was terrible, and the food that was the least bit good came in small bits! Her companions were mad because of the quality of the inn. The rooms were messy, smelly, damp and cold. The beds were hard and had few coverings. And for all this bothersome mess, they were charged more than at most other inns. "They could use the money," Xellos grumbled. "Maybe then they can afford common sense."
::If I'm alive and well, will you be there, holding my hand?::
"This place is disgusting," Amelia complained, pouting and pushing her plate away. The five friends were sitting around one of the desolate inn's tables, some scowling and some frowning. "I agree," said Zelgadis, who was one of the people scowling. Gourry looked sick. "This stuff is going to kill me," he whined.
::I'll keep you by my side with my super-human might.::
"Miss Lina, can we please go now? Please?" Amelia begged the older sorceress. Her back was hurting, her legs were hurting, her head was hurting, and she had cramps in places she didn't know she had. The inn's beds were as unfriendly to her as the villagers, if not more so. "Amelia, what have I told you a million times already?" Lina asked, rolling her eyes. "It's either this or outside, and at least this place has a hot bath!" "But, Miss Lina, a rock is softer than this bed!" Amelia protested. "Amelia, get over it. We've been through a lot worse, and you'll be in MUCH worse pain if you keep me up all night with your whining!" Lina nearly yelled. "You're a big girl, now, a strong one; be strong about it!" And with that, Lina rolled over in her uncomfortable bed and fell asleep.
::Kryptonite.::
The next morning Amelia had decided; it was time to go back to Saillune. She sat down, pulled out a pen and piece of paper, and began writing the note to her friends. When they woke up, her companions found the following message pinned to Lina's inn door:
Fellow friends of Justice and Truth, I, Amelia Wil Telsa Saillune, have decided, once and for all, to end my awe-inspiring expedition. By the time you've awakened and read this note, I will have left for my home in Saillune. My deepest regrets were left with you, for I know you shall miss me greatly. Traveling with you was the best thing I've ever done, and I hope to let our journeys' lessons affect my ruling of Saillune. I truly regret leaving you, Mr. Zelgadis, for I know you shared my feelings for you. I'm sure your heart must be broken by the news of my leaving, but don't despair; you are always welcome in Saillune, at the palace. Mr. Gourry, traveling with you was quite an experience. I was always amazed by your skill with the sword, and even you have taught me many lessons. Ms. Lina, you were my greatest teacher of all. From you I learned never to let anyone push me around. I have become a better person thanks to you. I have always admired, and shall for years to come, your skills and your quest for the fulfillment of justice. Please continue to serve justice to those who need it. I will miss you all. Sincerely, Princess Amelia Wil Telsa Saillune.
A cheer rose from the three reading the letter. Lina and Gourry hugged; then Lina hugged Zelgadis, although this hug lasted longer than the last. Xellos kissed Lina on the cheek, which she promptly smacked him for. "I'm not THAT happy, Mazoku," she growled. That night, Zelgadis pulled her aside and looked at her solemnly. "I meant to tell you this earlier," he began, "after the fight with the bandit leader. But, I was afraid. And I was afraid I'd hurt Amelia's feelings...break her heart." "Zel, are you about to say what I think you're going to say?" "What do you think I'm going to say?" "That you love me, you have loved me for a long time, you want to be with me forever..." "That about covers it," he agreed. "Do you know what I'm going to say?" "Yes. You feel the same way..." "Yep. These stories are always the same, aren't they? I think this is the part where you whisk me off my feet and kiss me," she said dreamily. He nodded, picked her up, and pressed his lips softly against hers.
~Fin~