Chapter 2 Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own Slayers, or any anime for that matter (don't I wish!) And so on. Um, this story has no historical purpose, has very little to do with the show actually. You know, come to think of it, it has no other purpose other than to provide an alternate ending for the 1st part of the series (why? You'll find out later :P!) Oh, this idea was though up all by myself once again, tries to look important, but fails> -_-;;; Hmpf! Well, enjoy! Ja!

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Zelgadis seemed to be the only one at the table who heard- Lina and Gourry being to busy eating, Zolf and Rodimus simply not paying attention. Upon hearing the name of Rezo, the drink that Zel had been trying to swallow ended up being sprayed all over the place, and he started to cough. Lina paused in her eating for a moment, making sure the food was all right, swallowed, and then started laughing at Zelgadis- insisting that it had come out of his nose. Zolf was patting his Lord's back, trying to make him breath easier, while Rodimus was making him drink sips of water.

It was unusual for someone with so much pride to lose their composure and do something like that, which was why Lina found it so funny. After all, it was hard to get Zelgadis to smile- he was too serious which was something Lina wanted to rid him of. Lina soon got a hold of her laughter, and locked it up, only a suppressed giggle slipping every once and a while from the memory. She waited for Zel to gain what was left of his dignity for the night, before questioning him.

"So, Zel, what's the big idea?" she asked.

"Just heard something that I shouldn't have, that's all," he replied.

Lina frowned slightly, it took an awful lot for something to even make Zel lift an eye brow, let alone nearly choke on a drink. Now Lina was getting curious. "Oh, what?"

Zel shook his head.

* * * *

The strange girl ignored the commotion that she heard behind her, and wait for the bar tender to reply. He looked deep in thought, so she decided to wait a few minutes, and not press him.

"Well, Ma'am, it's been many years since anyone's seen the Red Priest in this small town. Sorry I can't help you, but I think that I know some who might. I heard the group of kids behind you mention him while they were talked. I didn't mean to eave's drop, but they were talking awfully loud. Maybe they can be of some assistance. Also, you looked very tired Miss, perhaps you would like a room for the night?"

The girl nodded, "Arigato for you're help sir, but that wont be necessary."

She sighed heavily, and turned around and looked at the group. Three of them studied magic, that much was obvious. The other two looked to be very skilled in weaponry. 'I hope that they are able to help me find Rezo...' She just intended to asked them if they knew anything about him, and didn't want to even try to start anything with the group, even though she could easily defeat them with her magic. She sighed again, then walked over to them.

* * * *

"Um, Lina, that girl's heading in our direction." said Gourry, who had finished eating his food and had looked up to see.

"Eh?" was all that Lina could manage to say. She knew, from the way the girl was dressed, that she was a very high ranking sorceress, more powerful than Lina was. Lina thought that talking to her would be one of the greatest pleasures that any one who knew about magic could ever wish for- it was like a priest getting the chance to talk to the God that they worshiped. Zelgadis had heard what Gourry had said, and although he knew and was basically thinking somewhat the same thing Lina was, unlike Lina he was still on his guard.

When the girl reached the table, they were all staring at her. She fought the yawn and the sigh that wanted to escape, took and deep breath and spoke.

"Excuse me. I hope I'm not interrupting anything, demo I wanted to have the company of some people, and you and a couple of your fellow companions seem to be sorcerers."

Lina was amazed, and baffled, but still managed to speak. "Oh, you're not interrupting anything Miss, please have a seat."

Now it was everyone else's turn to be shocked- Lina had actually been polite to someone.

The girl smiled. "Arigato. If you don't mind, may I ask for your names?"

"Sure, I'm Lina, that's Gourry, Rodimus, Zolf and Zelgadis," said Lina, pointing to everyone as she went. When the girl heard the name Zelgadis, she looked as though it rang a bell to her, but she shook her head and let out a slight sigh. Then she smiled.

"Lina Inverse, no doubt?"

Lina was dumbfounded- even the highest ranking sorcerers and sorceresses knew at least her name. It was all she could do to keep her mouth from dropping open. Lina nodded.

The girl seemed happy, or at least better than she had before. She giggled slightly. "You know, I always wanted to meet you, you sounded like such a cool person. You life must be fun no doubt. It's a real pleasure to meet you Lina-san. My name is Akera, some even added the Red Rose to that," she sighed. "But that was a long time ago, before I left to study more powerful magic and began to travel."

"Um, Akera-sama, you look really tired, and I'm sure the rest of us are as well. Perhaps we should call it a night and get some sleep. There will be time to talk tomorrow." said Rodimus. Everyone at the table nodded- it had been a long day.

"Do you all have a place to stay tonight?" asked Akera.

"Well, we know a place where we can get a good discount because we go there so often, but if you mean that we have a definite place, the answer is no," replied Lina.

"Why, you got a place in mind?" asked Zelgadis.

Akera shook her head. "Not really- I haven't been to this town for many years- when I first left."

"Well, then come with us," said Lina with a smile.

"Are you sure that I won't be troubling you?"

"Not at all! Now come on, let go find nice comfortable beds to sleep in."

With that they began to walk off- Lina and Gourry leading the way, talking about something, Zelgadis, Rodimus and Zolf a little bit behind them, with Akera following behind.

'I hope that I can find Rezo. He sounded as though he were in deep trouble, and that he needed help, or something. It's been what, 7 years since the last time I was here, and so much has changed since then... Zelgadis..... where have I heard that name before? Oh, could he be the same little Zelgadis that Rezo and I found abandoned by our front door? He was left by Rezo's older brother, according to the note that had been attached. I wonder if this guy is the same one... Ug, this is not helping. I think that I need to get to Rezo's mansion, if it's still standing. I mean-' Akera was suddenly knocked out of her chain of thought- someone had knocked Lina over.

When Lina had fallen, everyone had instinctively jumped into a fighting stance. Lina sat on the ground for a few seconds, trying to recover and figure out what had happened. When she looked and saw a little boy sitting on the ground, having fallen over too, she realized that she had been run into. She stood up and patted the dust off of herself, the little boy doing likewise.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

"Ya, you could get hurt running into something that bonny," joked Gourry, and Lina glared at him, so he shut his mouth, not wanting to get hurt.

"Hey!"

"Um, I'm ok," replied the kid.

"Oh, that's good. YOu watch where you're walking from now on," said Lina, still crouching.

"Huh?" said Gourry- the kid had started to glow red, and in a matter of seconds he had turned to stone. Lina gasped.

"What's this?" said Zelgadis.

"He's stone!" said Gourry.

"He's..he's turned to stone!" Lina was shocked.

"Huh? Uh, look!" said Rodimus, looking towards the sky, everyone else looked too.

'What's going on here?' thought Akera.

When they looked, they saw a redish floating ball.

"Rezo's sorcery..." said Zelgadis, his frown deepening.

The ball opened and turned into what looked like a giant eyeball. Then, a dark redish light covered the boy, and reached the ground. The light changed into a red light, that took shape over the boy- it looked like Rezo.

'Rezo? Demo.... I don't remember anything like this...'

"Rezo..." said Lina.

The red light took form, then turned white.

"Forgive my absence, dear friends..." it began.

"What do you want from us Rezo?!" asked Lina, glaring at the phantom.

"I'm sure by now you know just what I want." said the figure.

"The Philosipher's Stone." said Gourry.

"Sorry to disappoint you but you're not getting it." said Lina

"There's no reason for you to be hostile towards me. I asure you that I intend to pay for it." replied the phantom.

"Oh, and what could be worth the price of the Philosopher's Stone?" aked Zelgadis.

"hmm... Let's see... how about the people in this village. Would their lives be worth it?"

"You wouldn't!"

"I imagine turning every citizen into stone liie this boy would be very... artistic."

"Are you mad?"

"That's horrible!"

'Oh Rezo, how could you?' thought Akera, getting very near tears.

"Oh, perhaps you have an alturnative to my idea. If you have a need to meet with me, please feel free to come to my tower and we'll discuss it. Zelgadis knows the way."

"Damn you!" yelled Zelgadis,m throwing his sword at the eye, shattering it."

Silence fell over everyone as little red specks fell all around them.

"What'd do we do Lina?" asked Gourry after a little while.

"What else? We'll play along with him for now. If we don't, then he'll just go from village to village turning everyone into stone until we talk to him. It's like taking an infinite number of hostages." said Lina, keeping her eyes towards the sky.

"Um, what's everybody looking at?" asked the little boy, who had changed back.

Lina shook her head. "Nothing. You run along home now, ok?"

"OK, see ya miss!" yelled the kid, running off.

"Oh Rezo... How could you ever do such a thing?" whispered Akera.

"What? What do you mean by that Akera?" said Zelgadis, looking at her surprised. Everyone else turned to face her as well, for they had heard her as well.

"Eh? Oh... it's just that, well, I've know Rezo ever since we were kids, and I never knew he would even think about doing such a thing." she replied.

"What?!" they all said in unison. Akera nodded.

"Hai... You see, about 7 years ago, I left to further my study in magic. Rezo did the same. We traveled in different directions as well. I heard for the towns people that he had come through cities- preforming miracles and such- curing other people's blindness, yet still remaining blind himself. It struck me as odd at first, but then I realized that he must not have been able to cure his own. Then I studied even harder, and entered the Houses of Magic- the highest ranking sorcerers and sorceresses. I worked until I became apart of the First House, studying both White and Black magic- knowing that it would come in handy to know both. I even studied some of the ancient ruin magic. That's how I got so high. When I couldn't go any further, and I was satisfied with what I could do, I decided to return home, to see Rezo again. I knew that he had given up traveling, and had returned to his mansion- rumors spread fast. Anyways, that's how I got here, and that's my connection with him. It's just so weird- when I left I remember him respecting life above everything else, and the mansion was even an orphanage. That's how he came to know Zelgadis. You are the same one, right?"

"Um, well, I remember my Father leaving one night when I was about 7, then the next morning I woke up in a different place- with Rezo. He and a female friend of his raised me. So that was you... I thought you looked familiar. But now the mansion is in ruins- the land around it is dead, no longer beautiful and full of people. They all seemed to leave after you did- that's when everything changed, or at least started to. I stayed behind to manage the place, but Rezo changed a few weeks after he had returned from his journeys. Then everything started to die, and the people left. That's also when I became a cymera..." said Zelgadis.

"Oh.. Zelgadis. Why didn't you tell us this sooner?" asked Lina.

"Well, I guess that I started to forget after a while. I started to loose hope that Akera would ever come back. I thought that she was the only one who could help Rezo- change him back the way he had been before. Ya, I searched for her, that's how Rodimus and Zolf became my friends- that's how we met. After all, it's been 4 years since then." Zelgadis finished with a sigh.

Akera sighed. "You know, I don't even think that was the real Rezo- I mean, he didn't even notice me..."

"Akera, will you help us either way?" asked Lina. Having her help would improve their chances.

Akera sighed heavily. "Yes, I will. I can't just stand back and let this happen. Count me in." Then an unnoticed tear slid down her cheek.

"Great. I think that we should go get some rest. Then, tomorrow, we'll travel to Rezo's mansion and talk to him." said Lina.

Everyone else agreed, and they continued on their way. When they reached the inn, they each got their own rooms, and went to them, saying 'goodnight' to each other before they split up.

* * * *

In his room, Zelgadis sliced the air with his sword, thinking. 'Why now? Why has Akera returned now, of all times? She's been gone for such a long time that- well, I don't know. I remember my past now, I regret it and yet, I charish it. The memories of ht eyears I spent with Akera and Rezo before everything happened were happy- some of my best years. Rezo was my father's younger brother, buy far, but Rezo was more famous, and has lived a long time- though he doesn't look it. He looks 25, though he is more around 80.... as does Akera- she looks to be my age, maybe even Lina's, demo, she looks just like she did when she and Rezo took me in- except a little sadder. And what she said about this man not being the real Rezo. But who else could it be? If he is the real Rezo, I can only pitty her...'

* * * *

Rodimus sat in his room, chanting "Clear the mind... clear the mind and nothin can stop you.." over and over agia, obviously having trouble sleeping. He was trying to rid his mind of any doubts he had about their mission, and would soon find this an impossible task.

* * * *

Zolf sat by the window in his room, starring at the moon as clouds passed over it- thinking about the day's events. 'So, this girl knows Master Zelgadis, and what's more- helped raise him. But how can that be? She looks no more than 16 years old. This is just too much...' Zolf watched as some clouds passed over the moon, causeing the light to go out, then come back.

"Hmmm... bad moon..." was all he said, then he fell silent.

* * * *

Gourry was sleeping already- after about 10 minutes. He did not appear to be bothered by anything that had happened, and slept on through the night.

* * * *

Lina sat in a chair near her bed, staring at the Orihalcon Statue. 'There has to be another reason why Rezo wants this statue. I man, why couldn't he just tell me that he wanted the stone to heal his eyes, instead of lying about Zelgadis? I would have given it to him then, but now I can't. There's gotta be another reason.... but what? And now we've got Akera. She is an odd one, and i know that I probably shouldn't trust her- she is a friend of Rezo- she cares about him an awful lot. Demo... she's willing to help kill him if it means peace... and I can't help to trust her, she is a member of the house after all, and a very powerful sorceress. She said something about the ancient ruin magic...' Lina sneezed. 'Hmm, I guess that means I should try to get some sleep...'

* * * *

Much like everyone else, Akera had retiered to her room. She had placed her cape on the side of a chair that was in front of a desk and a mirror. She was lying down on her bed trying to sleep, and sighed, a tear running down the side of her face. 'Why would Rezo do something like this? Why would he be after the Philosopher's Stone? And why didn't he seem to sense that I was there too? I know he's blind and all, demo, he's always known where I was... I even tried to reach him tellepathicly- that's how he sent me the message, but it didn't work... I hope he's not the real Rezo, then I won't feel so bad about having to fight him... but if it is, then I can't allow him to do this to the people- especially those whio can't retaliate aganst him...' With those last thoughts, Akera fell into a very deep sleep.