Slayers Reconcile

Chapter 8: Upon the Eve of Battle

Lina sat glumly as she looked out the window of the town hall and into the night. She sighed deeply.

"Up again already?" Zelgadis asked as he sat himself down beside his irritable, red haired friend. "Its two in the morning, and you're going to need all the rest that you can get."

"Am I a bad person, Zelgadis?" Lina asked suddenly.

"Excuse me?" exclaimed the chimera, who promptly began to rub his ears to make sure that there was nothing in there affecting his hearing.

"You heard me," she repeated, still with the unusually soft voice.

"Well…," Zelgadis answered, pretending to have to think for several minutes.

"Hey!" Lina exclaimed with some of her old spark as she nudged the chimera as hard as she dared to.

"Well first off, I want to know why you asked that."

"I don't know," the sorceress sighed as she turned around to take in the cramped public building. Most of the townspeople were lying on worn, ragged blankets spread all about the hall, trying to sleep despite their growling bellies. Obviously the villagers had been poorly treated during their time as prisoners.

Only one of the villagers was still awake, an old man who had introduced himself as the village headmaster. He was sitting in a corner with pen and ink, writing into a small journal by candlelight.

About ten feet away lay Goury, Amelia, and Naga, all lying fast asleep on the floor.

Lina's gaze rested upon Goury for several moments before she continued.

"I guess…well, there's been a lot of things that I've done in my life," Lina finally continued, "And there are quite a few incidents that I'm not too proud of: I didn't believe Naga when I should have; I held onto false faith in Dameon for so long, even though I 'just knew' that he had betrayed me as well; the way I overreact all the time; all the people that I didn't help or didn't want to help just because they didn't have enough money; the way I treat you and the others sometimes; heck, I'm even starting to feel guilty about all the meals that I've made Amelia and Filia pay for.

"Most of all though, I'm sorry that I got everyone into this mess, that I'm putting you, Goury, Amelia, Naga, and all of these villagers in danger from that maniac and his motley crew."

"What are you talking about?" Zelgadis asked, quite astonished, but not wanting to show it. "We aren't in any danger. Rezo, Shabranigdo, Copy Rezo, Gaav, Phibrizo, ValGaav, DarkStar, and pretty much everyone else that its taken us more than thirty seconds to beat could wipe the floor with this wimpy little army, and we beat all of them."

"Yeah, but…"

"Look Lina," Zelgadis interrupted, "You may be manipulative, greedy, bossy, pushy, ill-tempered, impatient, stubborn…"

"Yes, I get the picture," the sorceress growled as the chimera smirked.

"…But those are just personality flaws. Having them, and even sometimes letting them get the better of you, doesn't make you a bad person.

"And when you want to be, you're also kind hearted, sympathetic, reliable, courageous, and even once-in-a-while self-sacrificing. And those are traits that only a good person can have."

"But…"

"And returning to the subject of you putting everyone in danger here, this is not your fault. Its Dameon's fault, and Dameon's alone. Do you understand?"

Lina nodded.

"Good," Zelgadis replied with a small smile, "Now stop stressing yourself out over little things. We need you in top shape."

"Hold up a minute," a voice suddenly said.

Lina and Zelgadis spun around and saw Naga standing before them.

"Sorry for eavesdropping," the former princess of Seyruun apologized- though she didn't seem very sorry, "But I was having a little trouble getting my beauty rest, and couldn't help but over-hearing…"

"You were just pretending to sleep to listen in," Zelgadis stated matter of factly.

"Call it what you like," the black haired sorceress replied.

Turning back to Lina, she said, "But in any case Lina, I think that you should just shut up with this whole 'Am I a good person, or a bad person?' garbage. Its not like you. You never used to worry about unimportant stuff like that."

Zelgadis groaned slightly in irritation.

"You used to be all: 'Cause more unnecessary stress in my life will you? Prepare to get the snot beaten out of you! Dragon Slave!' What brought on all this philosophical junk? Did you hit your head, or something? Or did you decide to go and join a convent while I was gone?"

"Look Naga…"

"I don't care, and I don't want to hear it! You've got work to do. Now stop feeling sorry for yourself, get off your sorry ass, and go kick some butt!"

Zelgadis stared, not quite sure what to make of the strange woman's speech. It did remind him vaguely of Amelia's famous justice speeches, but at least those were more… something, he didn't know what.

Lina, on the other hand, actually smiled in gratitude and amusement.

"Thanks, Naga," she said.

"Not a problem. After all, strong, intelligent, beautiful sorceress types like us need to stick together…"

Zelgadis and Lina rolled their eyes.

"…Even if your chest is flatter than a brick wall."

"Why, you!"

"Umm, excuse me," said a gravelly old voice.

Turning around, the trio saw that this time it was the village headmaster who was standing before them.

"Please forgive me for interrupting," the age-bent old man apologized, "But I couldn't help but overhear you all in your discussions. Am I mistaken in saying that you know Mr. Dameon Black?

"A long time ago," Lina admitted, "At least I thought that I did."

"And your intentions for him are?"

"Capture him and turn him in for whatever price is on his head," Lina answered with conviction, "Or, failing that, kill him."

The old man bowed and said, "I believe you, and my village and I will do whatever we can to help you to defeat our persecutor. Anything that you need, it will be at your disposal, though we have little left to our names."

"No, you don't need to-," Lina protested.

"I insist," the headmaster persisted. "And what is more, I have always prided myself on being a good judge of character. Though I have heard many things about you, Miss Inverse, and though I admit to having believed several of these rather unsavory rumors; after hearing you and your companions speak, and seeing for myself that you came to rescue us, I gladly admit that I was wrong. You truly are not the monster that some people have portrayed you to be. You and your companions spoke from the heart this night, and so I judge that you are, indeed, a good person."

"Err, wow, thanks," Lina stammered with a slight blush.

"And despite the rumors, I did actually have hope, if only a small one, that you would come to save us."

"Why's that?" Lina asked.

"Some time ago," replied the old man, "There was a man who stopped by this village while on his way to find a port that would take him to the Outer World. It was shortly after the Mazoku Barrier disappeared, I think. Anyway, he stayed here among us for some time before moving on, and during that time he would help us with our daily lives, no matter how small or unpleasant the job, and from this I judged that he was a man of honor and strong moral fiber. During his stay, this man would often speak of a girl he once knew, who had a strong core of goodness, and who was destined to do great things for this world, but was often accused of being an evil doer due to her bad-temper and other such bad habits. A girl called Lina Inverse."

Lina's eyes lit up at the old man's tale.

"And who was this man on a journey to explore the Outer Worlds?" she asked.

"He never gave us his last name," the headmaster replied, "He told us to simply call him Ralse."

Both Lina and Naga's eyes lit up in recognition of the name and character description. Zelgadis' ears perked up slightly, as he knew that the name was familiar and was trying to remember where he had heard it. However, the chimera was even more interested in the two sorceresses' reaction.

"That name means something to you?" asked the headmaster.

"Yeah," Lina admitted, "He was… a good friend."

"I see," the old man nodded, "It is a marvelous thing to have good friends, and you are lucky to have so many."

"Yeah," Lina agreed.

"Well, I shall go now." The old man said as he turned away. "My troubled heart has now been calmed, and I can rest peacefully this night. Pleasant dreams."

"Well?" asked Zelgadis, once his hearing confirmed that the headmaster's breathing was of one who is sound asleep.

"I'll tell you some other time," Lina replied, shaking her head. "Right now we should get some sleep. We've got a big day ahead of us."

"That's the truth!" Naga yawned, "Good night, Lina."


Several hours later…

"Sir!" one of the clerics to Shabranigdo said as he entered his master's tent, "Its time to check on your-,"

"Mmm! Don't tease me like that, ladies!" Dameon Black giggled pervertedly in his sleep. As the sorcerer rolled over, he flinched and rolled back to his original position from having put weight upon his magically restored arm, which was mummified with a cast and sling.

"Oh! Be gentle with me, girls," the black haired young man yelped as the pain influenced the dream.

"Umm, sir…?" the cleric said, half-embarrassed, and half-intrigued by the glimpse into his leader's subconscious.

"Oooh, Lina! You're so naughty! You too Naga!"

"Uh, sir?" the cleric tried again, this time putting a hand on his master's shoulder and shaking it slightly.

"Oh, my! Such magnificent…"

"SIR!" the cleric finally yelled into Dameon's ear.

The bandit leader yelled and jumped ten feet into the air. As Black attempted to gather his wits, he looked around his tent. At last his gray eyes settled upon his head healer, whose mouth was still slightly agape.

"What is it?" Black scowled, angry at having been interrupted from his pleasurable dream, "Are we being attacked?"

"No, sir," the cleric replied, his surprise now changing into mirth.

The dark priest bit his tongue and fought hard to hold back the laughter as he said, "Its just time to check on your wound."

"I see," Dameon answered, then started as he that his healer's face had begun to crack.

"What's so funny?" he demanded. "Was I talking in my sleep?"

"N-no…yes. Yes you were, sir," the cleric guffawed.

Black could feel his face become uncomfortably hot as he threatened, "D-don't you dare tell anyone!"

"O-of course not, sir," the cleric assured as he fought to regain his composure.

As the rogue priest began to undo his master's bandages to inspect the repaired arm's progress, he began to think of ways that he could use this incident to his advantage afterwards.

To Be Continued...