Chaos Factor 9

(Disclaimer: I do not own Slayers or any of its characters.)

Part 8: ...a bit of cheese on the side...

Gourry followed Zelgadis down the dark hallway. He was followed by the two little girls in frilly dresses... and boy, they whined more than Lina. Not that he'd ever tell her that to her face.
Zelgadis stood under his spell light and examined the new split in the passageway. There were three now.
"Which way do we go?" Gourry asked looking around warily. So far he had figured they had been in the fun house for hours and it was probably night. They had missed two meals and Lina would be absolutely murderous right now. Gourry was kinda glad she wasn't around so she wouldn't chew on him, but not really. He was worried about Lina ever since that short person said he was going to kill her. The short person look familiar and Zel explained why. Gourry kinda understood. There was a guy named Rezo that tried to kill them twice. Once he died then he tried to kill them again as another person. Gourry was still trying to figure that out.
Zel was annoyed and he rubbed his temples. There was a grating noise. "I don't know, and it doesn't really matter, just pick a way Gourry"
"Who me?" Gourry asked surprised.
Zel glanced at him eyes narrowed.
"Umm... okay. Let's go this way!" He pointed to the middle passage. "Wait... that way! No"
Zelgadis stared at him. The stupidity of the situation struck him a while ago right before Lina disappeared, but here it presented itself again and he reflected. They were lost because they had followed two little girls that wanted nothing by candy. They had fought demon sweets and proceed down a dark passage, a hour or so later Gourry was standing in his ridiculous outfit. Rent tights, tutu, and all, trying to figure out which way to go.
"I'm going mad." He mumbled under his breath. No one heard him.
"Wait... What's that noise"
Zel lifted his head and listened. "Water... No, voices"
"Lina!" Gourry exclaimed rushing forward.
"Wait Gourry, it's a trick of the echo... she might not be that way." Zel listened at the entrance to each way. "It could be any of them," he stated sullenly.
The little girls just stood behind them and sulked.

Terrified shaking. Gaia was trapped in a corner with no place to go and a hungry sorceress eyeing her for the kill. Even Tara was staying as far away as she could.
Truth be told Gaia would probably be saying something very stupid and enraging the sorceress. Sometimes she just couldn't help it, it was best she couldn't talk.
"I'm hungry. Tired. Being tormented by a red clad midget. Lost. And you smile too, too much." All this was a feral growl with flaming eyes and clenched fists. Lina advanced. Gaia cowered smiling nervously.
"D...do you want some food Lina?" Tara stated from the other side of the room.
"You have food?" Lina growled slowly turning around.
"NO!" Tara was quick to deny. "Gaia does"
Lina whirled and lunged. "GIVE IT TO ME"
If Gaia could have screamed she would have.

Contented munching.
Tara had managed to pry Lina off Gaia long enough for her to empty all the food out of her bag (a specially made reality bubble made to fit in her bag. A very large pocket as it was.
That consisted of a few wrapped mayo and ham sandwiches, a few cream sodas, lots of chocolate, battered fruits, jelly beans, cookies, cheesie poofs, and something Tara called pixi stix (which Lina didn't dare touch after Gaia had a few to 'calm' her nerves.
All but the candy sticks were consumed in a flurry of ravaged hunger. After Lina was sated she was in a much better mood. (Tara and Gaia were exceptionally glad about that)
Gaia continued her pointless pantomime, skipping the part that ticked Lina off so bad. After about a half-hour of this Lina was getting angry again.
"This is stupid, I don't understand any of this!" Lina fumed setting in the floor.
"You know Lina, you could have just asked me to take the spell off of her." Tara idly commented from across the room.
Lina turned and gave Tara an evil look of death that promised many painful things in her future.
"You mean I've been sitting her forever trying to figure her out and you've had the solution the whole time"
"Well you said you wanted her to act it out and I didn't want to interfere." Tara said innocently. Gaia laughed silently.
"Well then, why don't you take the spell off her now." Lina commanded through clenched teeth. These two were annoying the hell out of her.
Tara snapped her fingers. Gaia's laughter wasn't silent anymore. She was practically rolling in the floor.
Lina would not go for this.
A few seconds later Gaia was clutching her head still laughing a bit. Lina tossed her mallet back into hammer space.
"Now Gaia," Lina's voice rivaled the chilly air. "How to you presume we get out of here. Are you so special you can blast open a pure orhalicon door"
"No." Gaia said smiling cheerfully again. "But I can pick the lock. It's a normal lock. You just don't need magic to do everything you know"
"What has that got to do with any of your charades earlier"
"Um nothing. I was just having a bit of fun"
Wham! The mallet made its reappearance.
"Oww... you are so mean Lina-san..."

Gourry followed the little girls who followed Zelgadis. The path was dark and boring and there were weird sounds. Suddenly Gourry found there was no more path. No, contrary to what you're thinking, it wasn't a wall. It was an open door... in the floor.
"Kyaaaaa!" Gourry yelled as he plummeted downward. He looked up as he was falling to see the floor crumble until the two little girls and Zelgadis were joining him in his downward tumble.
Suddenly his tush came in contact with a hard surface he bounced then landed again but continued to move downward at a frightening pace. Gourry's brain threatened to go on strike when he tried to apply logic so he stopped and just went with it.
Zelgadis bumped up behind him, the two little girls clinging to his back.
The slid downward at an extremely fast pace. Zel didn't like this. He tried to wedge his feet into the sides of the slide but there wasn't enough traction. Suddenly the slide started going around and around and around and around and around and around and around and around and around and around and around and around until Zel was getting very sick. Gourry was a bit green too.
The ride of horrors dipped and whirled and swirled and turned violently brutally slinging its riders around. Just when Zel had had enough the slide ended and the four tumble across the floor with painful velocity.
"Oww." Gourry commented from his crumpled position. "I don't like this anymore"
Sarcastic clapping for the darkness. Gourry sat up suddenly. Zel got up and grabbed his sword.
Kopii Chibi Rezo stepped out. "Bravo! Bravo! You have succeeded well in getting totally lost in my trap! I'm so pleased." Gourry stood and drew his sword.
"Where's Lina." He said dangerously.
"Lina? Oh ho ho. Trapped. She'll remain that way until I finish her off. Now, it's your turn. It's only fitting you go first of course"
The little girls ran up to Chibi Rezo. "Rezo-sama! They're mean and they yell at us!" Peach said huffily.
"Can we help you destroy the invaders"
Kopii laughed. "But of course you can my little dears"
Peach and Daisy pulled out tennis rackets. "Let's go!"

Gaia was busy digging away at the lock as Lina and Tara watched.
"You're getting better Gaia." Tara commented as they heard another click.
Gaia nodded.
"Where'd you learn how?" Lina asked idly.
"During the Paradox Wars." Tara answered for her. "Only a few people were involved, but it probably best described as a war. But it's over now and Para-kun starts a nervous tick when he hears Gaia, Renee or my name and climbs walls and furniture to get away from us when he sees us"
"I love playing with his mind." Gaia stated still digging at the lock. Click.
"Open!" Gaia said happily.
"Now we have to figure out how to get through this tiny door." Lina stated sourly.
Gaia pushed the door open that the whole wall swung away.
"Oh." Lina commented.

Try it shorty." Zelgadis said angrily.
The little girls stepped in front of Rezo. Suddenly they weren't little anymore and they had glowing tennis rackets.
Zel shifted his sword grip. He knew it. Spies of Rezo.
"Hey, who are they?" Gourry said confused. "There used to be two little girls in poofy dresses"
"They are the little girls." Zel answered.
"No they aren't. They're much bigger and wearing less clothes." Gourry countered, his eyes still on Rezo. "Less chatting, more slaughter. Girls." Kopii waved them forward. "Have some fun."

Gail: Uh oh... what shall the two boys do? Will Rezo win with his two puppets? Where does that mysterious door in the wall lead? All these answers and more questions on the next episode!