The Fifth Staff
By Kyle Emmerson
Slayers and all of its characters and situations are the creation and
property of Hajime Kanzaka, Rui Araizumi, Kadokawa Shoten, TV TOKYO,
SOFTX, and Marubeni. I use these characters and situations without
permission.
Prologue: The Bridge
****
From the journals of Gervasse Welltessler, Grand Cleric to Luo Glaon.
Entry fourty-six:
It has now been several days since Master Luo has descended into the
depths of his latest discovery, but for some reason... I doubt it can be
linked with the clerical arts. I know he instructed me to stay and watch
over the 'Bridge', but I find myself... strangely troubled.
The Bridge itself was first discovered by the Master nearly three
weeks ago. He had spent a great deal of time studying the legends of the
staffs, and his ultimate goal was to create the Bridge. Now, upon it's
creation, he has not been able to let go of it. The first two weeks were
spent in study, mainly. But once he crossed...
I had feared he would not return. He left instructions to me that
should he not return within the allotted time, to close the Bridge.
The allotted time passed nearly two days ago, but I still remain
hopeful.
I will continue to watch the portal, and study his findings for an
answer.
****
Entry Fourty-seven:
I have discovered something of great interest. It would appear that my
master was not merely wishing to travel to one of the other staffs, but to
another plane altogether. From reading his studies, it would appear that
he has managed to hurdle the other three staffs altogether. He has gone
far over the Sea of Chaos and...
...and come out with a new staff entirely. A... fifth staff,
previously unknown. From his research, I have managed to discern a few
facts, including the reason that Master Luo hasn't returned.
Magic on the fifth staff is nearly nonexistent. The God and Demon
King of the staff have been gone for so long, it has allowed magical
forces within the staff to settle into mere life.
But life is abundant within the world. For Master Luo to have
traveled would have meant that he knew his arts would be severely
weakened. Therefore... It is quite possible that he has perished.
The Bridge is still open, and I will close it tonight. But I must know
what has happened to Master Luo. Whether or not he still lives.
I have sent a messenger to Zefielia, to search for the much-rumoured
Knight of Ceiphied. If anyone can help, it would have to be him. I expect
a reply within a few days.
****
The Kingdom of Zefielia, seven days later:
"Hey, Luna," Gillian began, flipping through the mail. "You've got
another letter."
"Let me guess," Luna said, sighing. "A request for help?"
Gillian opened the small envelope and began to read.
"Dear Sir Knight of Ceiphied," she began. "That'd be you, Luna."
"Sir Knight. Oh boy, I like it already," Luna deadpanned.
"Anyway, it says something about... some guy named Gervasse
Welltessler in Seyruun."
"Grand Cleric to Luo Glaon? Why didn't Luo himself just pop by if he
needed help?" Luna asked, picking up a dirty dish from a table.
"Umm, it says that Master Luo is... well... gone."
"Gone?" Luna asked.
"Yeah, he's... gone to the fifth staff, whatever that is. Something
about weakened magic, and he can't get back."
"Weakened magic? Why would Luo have done something that stupid?"
"Going on another quest?" Gillian asked.
Luna shook her head. "Nah, you know I never leave Zefielia. You know
just as well as I do this city would fall without me around."
"Oh yeah," she replied.
"I think this'll be perfect for little Sis', though. I hear she pulled
through pretty well on that whole Sairaag thing."
"That was little Lina?" Gillian asked, blinking.
Luna nodded. "I'll send word to her. She'll probably gather her little
troupe together and get this done. Hey, is he offering any money?"
Gillian scanned the letter. "Doesn't say."
"Oh, well. No matter. She'll do it anyway. Get the messenger, would
you?"
****
Outside of Atlass City, twelve days later:
"Come ON, Gourry!" Lina exclaimed. "You'd think they were heavy or
something!"
"They ARE heavy. Remind me again why YOU aren't carrying anything."
Lina sighed and put her arms behind her head. "Because, Gourry dear,
I'm far too delicate to carry such... thugs."
"Hey, uhh... We didn't mean it you know," one of the men Gourry was
carrying on his back pleaded.
"Yeah, seriously," the other said. "We really didn't know you were
Lina the Bandit Killer. Otherwise we would have left ya alone."
"Yeah, what he said," the first continued.
"What's the bounty on these two, again?" Gourry asked.
"Five hundred," Lina said, dismissing him with a wave.
"Five hundred?" one of the thugs asked. "Last I saw, we had a five
thousand gold piece price on our head."
Lina locked up. "Err... Did I say five hundred?"
"Miss Inverse?" a man asked as he stepped toward the two travelers.
"Miss Lina Inverse?"
Lina blinked in surprise. "Yes?"
"Thank goodness, I've finally found you. I've got a message for you,"
he said, pulling out an envelope from his pocket and handing it to Lina.
"I've been looking for twelve days. You are a very hard person to find,
you know."
Lina frowned. "Yeah, I kind of prefer it like that." She looked down
at the envelope and opened it as the messenger said his good-byes and
wandered off to the west.
"Dear Lina," she began. "How's it going? I hear you made a little
noise in Sairaag recently. Mom is fi--" Lina paused.
"What is it, Lina?" Gourry asked.
A few moments later, Lina turned completely white. Even her hair began
to take on a lighter shade.
"Lina?"
Her pupils began to dilate.
"Hello?" Gourry waved his hand in front of her face. "Are you asleep?"
She fell over a moment later.
"Hmm. Must have been something she ate."
****
The road to Seyruun, the next morning:
"Remind me again," Gourry asked. "What did we let them go for?"
"There's something much more important that needs to be done," Lina
said, trying to sound mysterious. Considering her voice was still
cracking, it failed miserably.
"And what was that show about yesterday? What was that letter about?"
"It was from my sister," Lina said. "I don't want to talk about it."
"Okay," Gourry said, shrugging. "But what are we supposed to be
doing?"
"Master Luo Glaon is missing."
"Who?"
Lina was honestly not surprised, but she still turned on Gourry.
"Master Luo Glaon? One of the Five Sages?!"
"Oh, like that Rezo guy? What does this Loony Gloon guy turn into?"
"Nothing, hopefully," Lina said, sighing. "But he's missing. And... it
looks like we're going to have to find him... but... a fifth staff..."
"Huh?"
"Gourry, you do know our world rests upon a staff that floats upon the
Sea of Chaos, right? I've only explained it to you like... eight times?"
"Well... umm..."
Lina sighed. "Look, our world rests upon a staff that floats upon the
Sea of Chaos. There are only four known staffs, including ours. Each staff
has a God and a Demon King, but... to travel to another staff, let alone
an UNKNOWN staff... It's crazy."
"Oh, so this Loophole Glowworm guy went on a trip?"
"A trip into the unknown, Gourry. But why, I don't know."
"And we're going to go find this guy?"
"Yes."
"And we're gonna go into this unknown place, too?"
"Yes."
"And we're getting paid, right?"
"Err... Well... no."
"Who are you and what have you done with Lina?"
"GOURRY!"
****
The White Magic Capital, Seyruun. Six days later:
"Ah, are you... the Knight of Ceiphied?" Gervasse asked, poking at
Gourry's stomach.
"The who of what?" Gourry replied, scratching his head.
Lina pushed him out of the way and looked up at Gervasse. "I'm Lina
Inverse," she said. "The... Knight is a little busy this weekend, so we
were sent."
"Lina Inverse," Gervasse said, as if considering the name. "I've...
heard that name bef-- Ahh! Aren't you the scourge of Zefielia? The horror
of Sairaag? The Dragon Spooker? The Enemy to All Living Things?"
Lina kept her anger in check.
For about five seconds. Gervasse was knocked against the back wall in
seconds and Lina started to charge up another shot before Gourry managed
to distract her-- by mentioning something about her breast size.
It managed to distract Lina enough to ignore what Gervasse had said by
knocking out Gourry instead.
"Now," Lina said. "Where's Luo Glaon?"
Gervasse stood up and brushed himself off. "Follow me," he said.
Lina dragged an unconscious Gourry behind her as Gervasse led the way
down a steep flight of stairs.
"Nearly two months ago, Master Luo discovered a source of magic that
allowed him the power to cross to another staff. Two weeks later, he
crossed into one. However, it wasn't until later that I found out which
one."
"Yes, it said something about the Fifth Staff in your letter."
"Indeed," Gervasse nodded. "I was instructed to close the Bridge after
five days, but I waited an additional four days before doing so. I can
easily open the Bridge again, and I believe I have discovered a way to
strengthen magical power within the Staff. What I do not have, however, is
sufficient power in the Shamanistic or Black arts to fight off whatever
horrors they may have there."
"So you called for me," Lina said, looking around.
"No, I called for the Knight of Ceiphied. But if he sent you, I'm sure
that will be enough."
"Yes... I'm... sure," Lina said through clenched teeth.
"I have strength enough in the white arts to keep a... tunnel, of
sorts open within the Bridge that will allow anyone on the other side to
access the magic arts of this staff without much difficulty. It may be
weakened somewhat, but a spell as powerful as say... The Dragon Slave
should still cause a great deal of damage."
"It had better," Lina mentioned.
Gervasse led them down to the base of the stairwell and stood before a
large door.
"This is it," he said. "The room. This is where everything will
happen."
Lina dropped Gourry at the bottom step and touched the door. "Just
send me," she said. "I'll have this over with as soon as I can, just keep
the Bridge open."
"What of your friend?"
"I'm in a bit of a hurry," Lina said. "He'll be fine."
****
The Fifth Staff. Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Twelve minutes
later:
The green flash didn't go by completely unnoticed by the Canadian
populace. It started from high about Mount Seymour and descended across
the city, over the downtown core, past Granville Island. It was witnessed
by hundreds, mainly by those of no importance. The homeless, the
prostitutes, the junkies and dealers. To them, it meant nothing. Just
something else to tell them that things were bigger than their problems.
But there was one person who witnessed the flash that knew what it
meant, and knew what it wrought.
Silently, Luo Glaon swore under his breath, and raised a single hand.
If the Bridge was open again, that could mean...
"Gervasse, you fool," Luo said, sighing. From the month he had spent
upon that staff, he had realized why there was no magic...
Magic in a world of such technological wonders could offset
everything... If someone from this world discovered the Bridge, it meant
that they could also discover magic, and thus could find a way to make it
run.
He looked up at the smoky trail as it streaked across the sky. It
meant someone had come to look for him. It probably wasn't Gervasse, as
he had displayed his absolute fear of the Bridge from the start... but...
He paused and frowned. That meant he had gone outside for it. If
anyone from his own world were to discover the Bridge, that also meant...
Mazoku... Evil men could use it to their own whim.
From his one month in that world, he had experienced and witnessed
many stages of the destruction that people from the world could render
upon one another. If a bandit gang were to get ahold of guns, they could
easily become as powerful as the strongest army. If a dark warrior were to
find the secrets of the... atom bomb... It could make the Dragon Slave
look like a cherry bomb. He had seen some of those, too.
Luo got up from his soft blanket and looked around the alleyway. Over
the past month, he had come to call this alley home. Even with the life of
one of Vancouver's homeless, he preferred it over his own staff.
But now... It appeared as though there would be no choice. He would
have to go back.
He turned to face his newfound friends and sighed.
"Wassamatta, Loo?" Jim, one of the more... impulsive drinkers of the
alley asked. "Ya look like ya seen--"
"I've got... something I need to do," Luo said. "I may not be back."
"What, you one of those rich folks that just pretend to be bums?" Al
asked. "Hey, can I borrow a house and car?"
"Something like that," Luo said, smiling. "I'll be back before it's
time for me to leave, and I'll... explain what I can."
Jim raised a bottle of the cheapest alcohol he could find (which
happened to be a half-case of Vodka screwdrivers that some guy left
outside of his car) and saluted his new found friend.
"All right," Al said, shrugging. "Good luck, then."
****
The same time, above the city of Vancouver:
Lina could barely take in all of it before her mind went into
overload. First it was the Bridge itself. It was nothing more than a swirl
of colours, and a single moment of pain. Not so much that she couldn't
take it, but more of a... shift in the way she was, physically.
The green light had surrounded her like some kind of... moth attracted
to a flame. It felt like a Raywing, but didn't act as she commanded it to.
The shield was covering her on every end, and to see outside--
Yes. She could see outside, but not well. She could make out tall
trees, like those that are usually found in the northernmost regions, like
the Kal-Taart Mountains. And further down--
--a city. A city unlike any she had ever seen. Buildings that dwarf
the tallest of trees, even the Great Tree of Sairaag. Lina coasted over
them as she tried to take in as much as she could. There were roads below,
that much she could see. But the carriages, they were... different. Too
many, and...
Dammit, she couldn't make out much with the shield.
Soon, she coasted out over the ocean, into a large bay with ships and
bridges. She turned her body to look back at the city, her senses in
overload, and her mind somewhere else.
And that's why she never saw it when she hit down.
The shield completely disappeared about fourty feet above the surface
of the water, and Lina fell. It wasn't until she realized she could see
clearly that she began to summon a raywing--
--but she couldn't. The magic was still too weak, and Gervasse was
probably in the process of strengthening the hold of the tunnel.
She hit the water like it was a brick wall, head first.
Without the extra acceleration the shield had added, she may have just
hit and been able to swim to shore. However, the last thing she felt was
the cold sting of the water as she splashed down, half a kilometer from
shore.
Lina had lost consciousness that very moment.
****
Author's Notes:
I know this is rather... fragmented at the moment. This was mainly an
experiment on whether or not I could (successfully) carry on a non-Ranma
fic, while at the same time writing said characters in a place I know
well, namely Vancouver, British Columbia. I'd appreciate some pre-readers
for this one (Hopefully some local ones?) to pick up any errors I may have
made, whether writing-wise, or landmark-wise, and also to make sure I keep
writing more.
I've outlined the 'fic right to the end, and it's currently slated at
around 10 largish chapters. A few things I'd like to clear up in the
prologue BEFORE I go ahead with chapter One is my usage of the characters.
I know very little about Slayers past the first season, therefore I've
placed it directly after the first season, and will probably be using
several other characters from said season. So, sorry all you Xellos fans,
you won't be seeing Mr. 'That is a secret' in THIS one.
But if anyone who happens to know quite a bit about the theory of the
Staffs or Luo Glaon (I know he's one of the great sages, and that he
practices white magic, nothing more...) PLEASE offer me a helping hand
here...
Thanks for reading thus far!
ttyl,
Kyle...
By Kyle Emmerson
Slayers and all of its characters and situations are the creation and
property of Hajime Kanzaka, Rui Araizumi, Kadokawa Shoten, TV TOKYO,
SOFTX, and Marubeni. I use these characters and situations without
permission.
Prologue: The Bridge
****
From the journals of Gervasse Welltessler, Grand Cleric to Luo Glaon.
Entry fourty-six:
It has now been several days since Master Luo has descended into the
depths of his latest discovery, but for some reason... I doubt it can be
linked with the clerical arts. I know he instructed me to stay and watch
over the 'Bridge', but I find myself... strangely troubled.
The Bridge itself was first discovered by the Master nearly three
weeks ago. He had spent a great deal of time studying the legends of the
staffs, and his ultimate goal was to create the Bridge. Now, upon it's
creation, he has not been able to let go of it. The first two weeks were
spent in study, mainly. But once he crossed...
I had feared he would not return. He left instructions to me that
should he not return within the allotted time, to close the Bridge.
The allotted time passed nearly two days ago, but I still remain
hopeful.
I will continue to watch the portal, and study his findings for an
answer.
****
Entry Fourty-seven:
I have discovered something of great interest. It would appear that my
master was not merely wishing to travel to one of the other staffs, but to
another plane altogether. From reading his studies, it would appear that
he has managed to hurdle the other three staffs altogether. He has gone
far over the Sea of Chaos and...
...and come out with a new staff entirely. A... fifth staff,
previously unknown. From his research, I have managed to discern a few
facts, including the reason that Master Luo hasn't returned.
Magic on the fifth staff is nearly nonexistent. The God and Demon
King of the staff have been gone for so long, it has allowed magical
forces within the staff to settle into mere life.
But life is abundant within the world. For Master Luo to have
traveled would have meant that he knew his arts would be severely
weakened. Therefore... It is quite possible that he has perished.
The Bridge is still open, and I will close it tonight. But I must know
what has happened to Master Luo. Whether or not he still lives.
I have sent a messenger to Zefielia, to search for the much-rumoured
Knight of Ceiphied. If anyone can help, it would have to be him. I expect
a reply within a few days.
****
The Kingdom of Zefielia, seven days later:
"Hey, Luna," Gillian began, flipping through the mail. "You've got
another letter."
"Let me guess," Luna said, sighing. "A request for help?"
Gillian opened the small envelope and began to read.
"Dear Sir Knight of Ceiphied," she began. "That'd be you, Luna."
"Sir Knight. Oh boy, I like it already," Luna deadpanned.
"Anyway, it says something about... some guy named Gervasse
Welltessler in Seyruun."
"Grand Cleric to Luo Glaon? Why didn't Luo himself just pop by if he
needed help?" Luna asked, picking up a dirty dish from a table.
"Umm, it says that Master Luo is... well... gone."
"Gone?" Luna asked.
"Yeah, he's... gone to the fifth staff, whatever that is. Something
about weakened magic, and he can't get back."
"Weakened magic? Why would Luo have done something that stupid?"
"Going on another quest?" Gillian asked.
Luna shook her head. "Nah, you know I never leave Zefielia. You know
just as well as I do this city would fall without me around."
"Oh yeah," she replied.
"I think this'll be perfect for little Sis', though. I hear she pulled
through pretty well on that whole Sairaag thing."
"That was little Lina?" Gillian asked, blinking.
Luna nodded. "I'll send word to her. She'll probably gather her little
troupe together and get this done. Hey, is he offering any money?"
Gillian scanned the letter. "Doesn't say."
"Oh, well. No matter. She'll do it anyway. Get the messenger, would
you?"
****
Outside of Atlass City, twelve days later:
"Come ON, Gourry!" Lina exclaimed. "You'd think they were heavy or
something!"
"They ARE heavy. Remind me again why YOU aren't carrying anything."
Lina sighed and put her arms behind her head. "Because, Gourry dear,
I'm far too delicate to carry such... thugs."
"Hey, uhh... We didn't mean it you know," one of the men Gourry was
carrying on his back pleaded.
"Yeah, seriously," the other said. "We really didn't know you were
Lina the Bandit Killer. Otherwise we would have left ya alone."
"Yeah, what he said," the first continued.
"What's the bounty on these two, again?" Gourry asked.
"Five hundred," Lina said, dismissing him with a wave.
"Five hundred?" one of the thugs asked. "Last I saw, we had a five
thousand gold piece price on our head."
Lina locked up. "Err... Did I say five hundred?"
"Miss Inverse?" a man asked as he stepped toward the two travelers.
"Miss Lina Inverse?"
Lina blinked in surprise. "Yes?"
"Thank goodness, I've finally found you. I've got a message for you,"
he said, pulling out an envelope from his pocket and handing it to Lina.
"I've been looking for twelve days. You are a very hard person to find,
you know."
Lina frowned. "Yeah, I kind of prefer it like that." She looked down
at the envelope and opened it as the messenger said his good-byes and
wandered off to the west.
"Dear Lina," she began. "How's it going? I hear you made a little
noise in Sairaag recently. Mom is fi--" Lina paused.
"What is it, Lina?" Gourry asked.
A few moments later, Lina turned completely white. Even her hair began
to take on a lighter shade.
"Lina?"
Her pupils began to dilate.
"Hello?" Gourry waved his hand in front of her face. "Are you asleep?"
She fell over a moment later.
"Hmm. Must have been something she ate."
****
The road to Seyruun, the next morning:
"Remind me again," Gourry asked. "What did we let them go for?"
"There's something much more important that needs to be done," Lina
said, trying to sound mysterious. Considering her voice was still
cracking, it failed miserably.
"And what was that show about yesterday? What was that letter about?"
"It was from my sister," Lina said. "I don't want to talk about it."
"Okay," Gourry said, shrugging. "But what are we supposed to be
doing?"
"Master Luo Glaon is missing."
"Who?"
Lina was honestly not surprised, but she still turned on Gourry.
"Master Luo Glaon? One of the Five Sages?!"
"Oh, like that Rezo guy? What does this Loony Gloon guy turn into?"
"Nothing, hopefully," Lina said, sighing. "But he's missing. And... it
looks like we're going to have to find him... but... a fifth staff..."
"Huh?"
"Gourry, you do know our world rests upon a staff that floats upon the
Sea of Chaos, right? I've only explained it to you like... eight times?"
"Well... umm..."
Lina sighed. "Look, our world rests upon a staff that floats upon the
Sea of Chaos. There are only four known staffs, including ours. Each staff
has a God and a Demon King, but... to travel to another staff, let alone
an UNKNOWN staff... It's crazy."
"Oh, so this Loophole Glowworm guy went on a trip?"
"A trip into the unknown, Gourry. But why, I don't know."
"And we're going to go find this guy?"
"Yes."
"And we're gonna go into this unknown place, too?"
"Yes."
"And we're getting paid, right?"
"Err... Well... no."
"Who are you and what have you done with Lina?"
"GOURRY!"
****
The White Magic Capital, Seyruun. Six days later:
"Ah, are you... the Knight of Ceiphied?" Gervasse asked, poking at
Gourry's stomach.
"The who of what?" Gourry replied, scratching his head.
Lina pushed him out of the way and looked up at Gervasse. "I'm Lina
Inverse," she said. "The... Knight is a little busy this weekend, so we
were sent."
"Lina Inverse," Gervasse said, as if considering the name. "I've...
heard that name bef-- Ahh! Aren't you the scourge of Zefielia? The horror
of Sairaag? The Dragon Spooker? The Enemy to All Living Things?"
Lina kept her anger in check.
For about five seconds. Gervasse was knocked against the back wall in
seconds and Lina started to charge up another shot before Gourry managed
to distract her-- by mentioning something about her breast size.
It managed to distract Lina enough to ignore what Gervasse had said by
knocking out Gourry instead.
"Now," Lina said. "Where's Luo Glaon?"
Gervasse stood up and brushed himself off. "Follow me," he said.
Lina dragged an unconscious Gourry behind her as Gervasse led the way
down a steep flight of stairs.
"Nearly two months ago, Master Luo discovered a source of magic that
allowed him the power to cross to another staff. Two weeks later, he
crossed into one. However, it wasn't until later that I found out which
one."
"Yes, it said something about the Fifth Staff in your letter."
"Indeed," Gervasse nodded. "I was instructed to close the Bridge after
five days, but I waited an additional four days before doing so. I can
easily open the Bridge again, and I believe I have discovered a way to
strengthen magical power within the Staff. What I do not have, however, is
sufficient power in the Shamanistic or Black arts to fight off whatever
horrors they may have there."
"So you called for me," Lina said, looking around.
"No, I called for the Knight of Ceiphied. But if he sent you, I'm sure
that will be enough."
"Yes... I'm... sure," Lina said through clenched teeth.
"I have strength enough in the white arts to keep a... tunnel, of
sorts open within the Bridge that will allow anyone on the other side to
access the magic arts of this staff without much difficulty. It may be
weakened somewhat, but a spell as powerful as say... The Dragon Slave
should still cause a great deal of damage."
"It had better," Lina mentioned.
Gervasse led them down to the base of the stairwell and stood before a
large door.
"This is it," he said. "The room. This is where everything will
happen."
Lina dropped Gourry at the bottom step and touched the door. "Just
send me," she said. "I'll have this over with as soon as I can, just keep
the Bridge open."
"What of your friend?"
"I'm in a bit of a hurry," Lina said. "He'll be fine."
****
The Fifth Staff. Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Twelve minutes
later:
The green flash didn't go by completely unnoticed by the Canadian
populace. It started from high about Mount Seymour and descended across
the city, over the downtown core, past Granville Island. It was witnessed
by hundreds, mainly by those of no importance. The homeless, the
prostitutes, the junkies and dealers. To them, it meant nothing. Just
something else to tell them that things were bigger than their problems.
But there was one person who witnessed the flash that knew what it
meant, and knew what it wrought.
Silently, Luo Glaon swore under his breath, and raised a single hand.
If the Bridge was open again, that could mean...
"Gervasse, you fool," Luo said, sighing. From the month he had spent
upon that staff, he had realized why there was no magic...
Magic in a world of such technological wonders could offset
everything... If someone from this world discovered the Bridge, it meant
that they could also discover magic, and thus could find a way to make it
run.
He looked up at the smoky trail as it streaked across the sky. It
meant someone had come to look for him. It probably wasn't Gervasse, as
he had displayed his absolute fear of the Bridge from the start... but...
He paused and frowned. That meant he had gone outside for it. If
anyone from his own world were to discover the Bridge, that also meant...
Mazoku... Evil men could use it to their own whim.
From his one month in that world, he had experienced and witnessed
many stages of the destruction that people from the world could render
upon one another. If a bandit gang were to get ahold of guns, they could
easily become as powerful as the strongest army. If a dark warrior were to
find the secrets of the... atom bomb... It could make the Dragon Slave
look like a cherry bomb. He had seen some of those, too.
Luo got up from his soft blanket and looked around the alleyway. Over
the past month, he had come to call this alley home. Even with the life of
one of Vancouver's homeless, he preferred it over his own staff.
But now... It appeared as though there would be no choice. He would
have to go back.
He turned to face his newfound friends and sighed.
"Wassamatta, Loo?" Jim, one of the more... impulsive drinkers of the
alley asked. "Ya look like ya seen--"
"I've got... something I need to do," Luo said. "I may not be back."
"What, you one of those rich folks that just pretend to be bums?" Al
asked. "Hey, can I borrow a house and car?"
"Something like that," Luo said, smiling. "I'll be back before it's
time for me to leave, and I'll... explain what I can."
Jim raised a bottle of the cheapest alcohol he could find (which
happened to be a half-case of Vodka screwdrivers that some guy left
outside of his car) and saluted his new found friend.
"All right," Al said, shrugging. "Good luck, then."
****
The same time, above the city of Vancouver:
Lina could barely take in all of it before her mind went into
overload. First it was the Bridge itself. It was nothing more than a swirl
of colours, and a single moment of pain. Not so much that she couldn't
take it, but more of a... shift in the way she was, physically.
The green light had surrounded her like some kind of... moth attracted
to a flame. It felt like a Raywing, but didn't act as she commanded it to.
The shield was covering her on every end, and to see outside--
Yes. She could see outside, but not well. She could make out tall
trees, like those that are usually found in the northernmost regions, like
the Kal-Taart Mountains. And further down--
--a city. A city unlike any she had ever seen. Buildings that dwarf
the tallest of trees, even the Great Tree of Sairaag. Lina coasted over
them as she tried to take in as much as she could. There were roads below,
that much she could see. But the carriages, they were... different. Too
many, and...
Dammit, she couldn't make out much with the shield.
Soon, she coasted out over the ocean, into a large bay with ships and
bridges. She turned her body to look back at the city, her senses in
overload, and her mind somewhere else.
And that's why she never saw it when she hit down.
The shield completely disappeared about fourty feet above the surface
of the water, and Lina fell. It wasn't until she realized she could see
clearly that she began to summon a raywing--
--but she couldn't. The magic was still too weak, and Gervasse was
probably in the process of strengthening the hold of the tunnel.
She hit the water like it was a brick wall, head first.
Without the extra acceleration the shield had added, she may have just
hit and been able to swim to shore. However, the last thing she felt was
the cold sting of the water as she splashed down, half a kilometer from
shore.
Lina had lost consciousness that very moment.
****
Author's Notes:
I know this is rather... fragmented at the moment. This was mainly an
experiment on whether or not I could (successfully) carry on a non-Ranma
fic, while at the same time writing said characters in a place I know
well, namely Vancouver, British Columbia. I'd appreciate some pre-readers
for this one (Hopefully some local ones?) to pick up any errors I may have
made, whether writing-wise, or landmark-wise, and also to make sure I keep
writing more.
I've outlined the 'fic right to the end, and it's currently slated at
around 10 largish chapters. A few things I'd like to clear up in the
prologue BEFORE I go ahead with chapter One is my usage of the characters.
I know very little about Slayers past the first season, therefore I've
placed it directly after the first season, and will probably be using
several other characters from said season. So, sorry all you Xellos fans,
you won't be seeing Mr. 'That is a secret' in THIS one.
But if anyone who happens to know quite a bit about the theory of the
Staffs or Luo Glaon (I know he's one of the great sages, and that he
practices white magic, nothing more...) PLEASE offer me a helping hand
here...
Thanks for reading thus far!
ttyl,
Kyle...