And now for the final battle...
Special thanks to the following:
Story Weaver1: I don't think so... luckily I doubt it's ever been done! (n-) Thankies!
Icecrystal48: Hee! More like reassimilated! Poor gang... (- -)
Flam3gurl: Awesome gald to have you! And I'm sure Xel's pleased that someone thinks he's pretty! (nn)
Ryu-Zero-Rei: That says enough. Thank you! (hh)
Mistress Dragon Flame: Thank you!
Also for all you Xelfi fans out there Mistress Dragon Flame has an awesome Xelfi fic coming out on White Day! (As she informed me that's the day when the boys respond to the Valentine's they recieved, I'm pretending to think of it as a response to my Valentine fic; a beautiful, masterful, response that could only come from the Mistress Dragon Flame!)
It's going to be amazing and if you don't read it... well the consequences could be dire... (vv)
Enjoy! (n-)
Chapter Twelve
A Continuance…
Lina swallowed back the fear she was feeling, glaring determinedly at the door. She knew not what awaited her on the other side, but she knew if it came down to Selene or them, that ghost was going down!
Resolution on her face; she threw open the doors and marched in, the others matching her look as they followed.
The scene that greeted them was the same as the night before.
Lina swallowed looking down at her champagne colored dress, as it sparkled in the high Chandelier light.
A faint blush gracing her cheeks; she dared a look up at Gourry who gave her that soft smile of his and stated causally. "I stick to my original statement."
Lina smiled shyly, holding in a grily giggle. She wouldn't take it that far!
"A-Amelia…" Zelgadiss breathed in awe, his eyes and face softening, a faint blush of his own coloring his cheeks. "You look…"
Amelia smiled, twirling in her white gown and looking back pointedly at the chimera. "So do you, Zelgadiss."
"You're just saying…" Zelgadiss began as he looked to the side, catching sight of himself in the grand mirror. "Hey! I do look good!"
"Well how bout that Zel!" Lina smirked turning to Filia, who had a small smile on her face as she stood there in her own azure gown. "You look nice too, Filia."
"Very nice!" The throng of now tragically single men agreed.
"Oh!" Lina bristled turning around to find they'd been surrounded. "Didn't see you there!"
One of the most handsome stepped forward and bowed stating dryly. "So you came."
"Oh, Lord Marcus!" Amelia cried in somewhat surprise, twitching slightly at his seemingly natural rudeness.
"Yes, it's me." He replied, standing with a shrug, pursing his lips. "So exorcist, you really think you're up for this?"
"Hey!" Lina growled brandishing a fist, but Gourry, put a restraining hand on her shoulder as Amelia stepped forward, calm and resolved. "Gourry! What's the… oh... Amelia…"
"I…" Amelia stated, tears forming in her eyes, taking the snobby Lord aback. "… shall not forgive this. The injustice done in this house must be undone and resolved! I, Princess Amelia Wil Telsa Saillune, shall cleanse this house and set you free!"
"A-Amelia…" Lina stated, taken aback as well, a proud smile forming on her lips as she crossed her arms. "She's all yours pal."
Amelia beamed at her, and gave a soft smile. "Thanks Miss Lina."
"Princess, is it?" Selene's liquid voice cut in from across the ballroom, and the throng of men parted, only Marcus brave enough to stay where he was, that annoyingly snobbish expression still plastered on his face as Selene walked the empty path to meet her challengers.
"That is what she said." Marcus replied dryly, earning a brow raise from the Slayers and making Filia twitch as she was deeply reminded of Xelloss, then she just felt sad…
Selene placed a possessive arm smoothly around his waist and smiled at Amelia, who looked back coolly, her fists clenched. Marcus' expression didn't even flinch.
"So princess…" Selene asked smoothly. "You challenge me then?"
Amelia nodded. "Yes, and in the name of Justice, I shall triumph!"
Selene arched a brow at the princess' Justice pose and looked beyond her to an angry Lina and a dark Gourry. "I invited you back, and you brought an exorcist, that was quite rude you know."
Lina ginned. "Oh sorry about that, but what can I say! No one hit's on my man and gets away with it!"
"Your…" Amelia stated, softly, confusion on her face.
"…Man!" Zelgadiss balked.
"Uh!" Lina bristled. "I mean my protector! Yeah! Cause you have to protect your protector!" She let out a shaky laugh and the other two didn't look so convinced.
Filia giggled slightly and Lina rounded on her. "And just what are you laughing at, Filia! At least I'm not spending so much time dreaming about Xelloss that I can't tell a ghost from a doorknob!"
Filia blanched, turning to the side. "That was too mean, Miss Lina…"
Amelia grinned. "Well Miss Lina, I guess Zelgadiss, will have to chaperone me at the ball! Obviously you and Mr. Gourry have to go together, some rouge sorceress might attack, and you wouldn't want to leave Mr. Gourry alone to her wiles!"
"That's right." Zelgadiss chimed in with a grin. "Chaos forbid some unsuspecting noble woman got between you two, the feast and the ballroom would never be the same."
"Oh! Why! You!" Lina huffed hopping up and down in a cloud of red fury as they laughed and Gourry shook his head; a small smile on his face. "Boy Lina!"
"Don't even start!" She growled rounding on him, hands raised warningly. "I'll fireball this whole illusion if I have too!"
"It seems you care for him even more than I thought. "Selene's liquid voice cut in, bringing them all back to reality.
She smiled darkly, the room becoming clouded with purple and stardust, it wrapping around the five; obscuring their view as she and the throng began to disappear in it. "I shall enjoy this even more now."
Her voice rang out from everywhere as the cloud completely surrounded the slayers. "First I'll take out your exorcist, and then I'll take my time with you…"
"Kick her ass, princess!" A rude voice broke out and Amelia blinked up and to the left. "Lord Marcus?"
"Yeah!" The rest of the ghosts chimed up and Selene laughed fluidly. "You may try. You see, you may be able to destroy my mind, but I can destroy your body!"
The came a large crack, followed by the sound of crystal on crystal; and then the sound of thousands upon thousands of tiny cracks.
"Miss Lina!" Filia cried, pointing up as it began to rain crystal. "The Chandelier!"
"Amelia!" Zelgadiss cried throwing himself on her, pinning her to the ground to keep her from getting hit by the shards.
"Zelgadiss! I have to cast a shield!" Amelia cried.
"No use!" Lina glared, furious at being caught off guard. "It's just an Illusion! But it can pierce us just same!"
They could see the crystal, hurling towards them and quickly Filia leapt in front of Gourry, who was protection Lina. Growling with exertion, she transformed, taking off the roof with her as she stretched to cover the mortals.
"Filia!" Lina cried up at her as the dragoness winced prepared to take the blow.
"Don't worry! It'll take more than this to put down a golden dragon." Filia replied confidently, tightening her face… but the blow never came…
"Xelloss?!" Filia cried in shock, turning her head to look at the mazoku standing on her shoulder, his staff held up as energy shot from it easily creating a protective barrier.
He cracked, an eye, looking meaningfully at her, his smirk in place. "That's four times now, Filia."
Filia blinked and then huffed, turning her head to side. "My life wasn't in any danger Xelloss! So this one doesn't count!"
"Oh really!" Xelloss blinked, twitching slightly, lowering his staff. "Well if that's how you feel then…"
"No!" Filia yelped her golden head whipping back around, and Xelloss grinned back her smugly.
"Xelloss?" Lina called up in confusion, she could hear him but it was hard to see around Filia.
"So Lord Beastmaster decided to extend you curfew, eh Xelloss?" Zelgadiss chided up at him with a smirk.
Xelloss smirked back and let one of the crystals through. Zelgadis blanched leaping back as it nearly missed his smug face.
"Mr. Xelloss!" Amelia cried, holding the now quite nervous chimera's head in her lap as she yelled up at Filia's shoulder. "That was most unjust!"
"He started it, Amelia." Lina replied with a dry shrug and Gourry chuckled amiably.
"Why did you come back?" Filia asked softly, so the others couldn't hear. Blinking her large blue orbs as the cheerful monster.
"Because." He replied, his smile turning to a smirk as he used the makeshift shield to hurl the smoke and crystal out of the ballroom where they fused and showered like brilliant pink meteors into the pond, for both the immortal's to view. "While Lord Beastmaster's mission was over…"
He opened his eyes and turned meaningfully to her. "Mine, isn't."
Filia's breath caught in her chest as he closed his eyes and turned his gaze back to the starlit sky that had taken the place of the ballroom roof with a shrug. "So I asked for a continuance."
"Oh." Filia whispered, not sure what else to say, and then still finding nothing, she transformed back, Xelloss watching her all the way down before phasing out and reappearing by her side.
"So the homely one decided to interfere." Selene stated displeased, as she reappeared, her arms crossed and her green eyes flashing while Marcus smirked smugly. The rest of the ball had gone and now the only thing light was that of the stars and moon above.
Xelloss grinned cheerfully. "I don't care what you say! Filia's thinks I'm pretty! Don't you Filia?!"
He cracked an eye at the dragoness who turned scarlet and looked away a daffy smile on her face as she stammered nervously. "I don't know what you're talking about! You, pretty? In what culture?!"
Xelloss pursed his lips and Lina grinned slapping him hard on the back. "It's good to have you back, Xelloss. If only for my financial concerns."
"Thanks Lina." The mazoku sated dryly and the sorceress laughed, waving him off with a hand, the other gripping the back of her head. "Don't mention it!"
Selene's displeasure was palpable and Amelia winced at the force of it.
"Er…Miss Lina…" She spoke up nervously, tapping her on the shoulder.
"I see now that I can't take out your exorcist by force." Selene stated coolly, her arms still crossed as they appraised her. "And possessing and exorcist is out of the question…"
She smiled softly fading from view and Lina blinked. "She gave up? So easily?!"
"Hardly." A voice whispered and then Lina realized with terror, that it was her voice, and then she was gone.
Lina's body let out a smooth breathy laugh and the others rounded on her.
"Miss Lina!" Amelia cried out in horror, as Zelgadiss placed a restraining hand on her shoulder.
"No Amelia!" Zelgadiss cried as the Lina's arm pulled free her sword.
"Oh, no!" Filia cried, raising her arms to do an exorcism.
Lina's eyes widened as Selene realized there were two exorcists, and what this ones intended.
With lighting speed, the sword whipped around, pointing at Lina's own throat, a small trickle of blood forming where its tip rested.
Filia gasped, dropping her arms in horror.
Lina's voice threatened calmly. "Make one move, and I'll kill her."
"Lina!" Gourry cried, horrified as he realized what had just happened.
Lina's ruby eyes blinked up at the swordsman. "And you handsome, you're coming with me."
"No!" Amelia cried, pulling against the chimera's hold forcing him to pull her back into his chest to consol her.
"We'll save her Amelia." He whispered, running a hand through her hair as she sobbed in horror. "We'll save her…"
"Can't you restrain her?! Or Something!" Filia asked, rounding on Xelloss in horror.
Xelloss shook his head, his face emotionless. "If I were to restrain her physically, Selene could still bite her tongue off and kill her. If I were to bind her spiritually, Selene could overload her brain and at best revert her to something similar to a traumatized child. We will have to let Selene take her leave."
"Lina…" Gourry whispered, sheaving his sword, looking at her resolute. "I won't let you hurt Lina, even if it means hurting me."
"That's how it always is…" Lina's voice replied smoothly, turning on her heel, sword still at her throat. "Follow me, and remember I don't need this sword to hurt your lover."
Gourry nodded and Filia shuddered in horror as Lina's form blew open the ballroom doors, the swordsman determined to follow her into death itself if need be.
