Disclaimer: I. Don't. Own. Slayers. I want a hippopotamus for Xmas, so I can sell it and buy lots of anime!

Note from Author: This is my first fanfic ever, be gentle! Also I'm going to apologize in advance, my spelling and grammar is not the best, be warned!

This means a future character is talking or whatever.

Chapter 29 – Rendezvous With Tomorrow?

"This is no simple spell Lina, are you sure you're prepared to try this?" Odilia asked Lina trying to make sure she knew what she was getting in to.

"Yeah, Yeah. I said I would do it didn't I?" Lina waved her hand dismissively.

"Once Lina decides she is going to do something here is no stopping her." Zelgadis commented to Odilia.

"Lina, are you sure? Meeting the LoN sounds rather sketchy." Gourry said concerned to Lina scratching his head.

"Oh Lina will be safe." Nexus replied without an ounce of doubt.

"What makes you say that Mr. Kurokei?" Amelia wondered as she looked down at the book.

"Chaos follows Lina everywhere she goes; LoN wouldn't rid the world of something that wonderful." He responded.

"Just so were clear on the specifics, after Lina performs the spell what happens to us?" Xelloss asked. "By the information I gather, this cabin is created by Nexus. So then what happens when he, Lina and Odilia leave this plane?"

"Were going to return to the Fire dragon temple first." Odile replied. "We don't want any complications getting in the way before we leave. Lina will only just barely be able to support herself with this spell, so all of you will have to remain behind."

"How are we to know what is happening?" Amelia asked. "How will we know everything turns out ok?"

Odilia looked down at Nexus hesitantly, and then replied, "Nexus will not be able to support the screen, however, I believe Xelloss and Filia can help out with that." She said as she looked up at them with a grin.

Xelloss eyebrow rose at the strange request, while Filia gave her a leery look. "And how could that be?"

Odilia walked over to the two, and unhesitantly grabbed each of their hands. "Fusion magic. Filia's Holy magic and Xelloss Demonic." Odilia replied looking at them both seriously. "Filia, you are going to use your Holy magic to oversee Lina, who will be over seeing the future. You will keep a lock of her hair, you know the spell."

"Yeah, but that spell won't work across different planes. It won't even work on the astral plane." Filia replied back to her, looking down slightly flustered by the girls touch.

"That is where Xelloss comes it. His Demonic energy will strengthen the spell, allowing it to reach where Lina is." Odilia answered.

"Are you sure that will work?" Zelgadis questioned her. Odilia turned her violet gaze on to the chimera with an earnest glance. "I am not completely sure, the only proof I have is that I personally have performed the spell, with my own combined Holy and Demonic energy. That is why I believe, combined; Xelloss and Filia could do it."

"Well it's worth a try." Amelia grinned determined. "Mr. Xelloss, Miss Filia, were counting on you."

"Now that we each know what our mission's are, I will transport us back to the fire temple, but first-" Nexus stated. "Xelloss, can I have your word that as soon as we return to the physical plane you will not abandon everyone, and return to your master?"

"Oh don't you trust me?" Xelloss sneered.

"No, I don't." Nexus replied. "I have no reassurance that you won't just phase away once we return to the physical plane."

"Boo-Hoo!" Xelloss mocked him.

"Joke all you want, Xelloss really. This is important to your future as wells a Filia and Odilia. I'm not too sure about your feelings toward either of them at this point in time, but if you plan to double cross me I will trap you in a space like this for the rest of your existence." Nexus threatened.

Xelloss looked down at the book with a dark glance. "If this future is true, then my master is in danger of being destroyed, am I right?" His voice fell over the room in an icy fog. "There for, it would be a number one priority for me to make sure that doesn't happen now wouldn't it? Therefore thinking I was planning on jumping ship before we even set sail is a misjudged assumption."

"That is a rather vague answer." Nexus replied sounding disbelieving, and somewhat challenging.

"There is nothing vague about what I have said. If you want a completely straight forward answered then I would be happy to give you one. I will remain with everyone. Unlike you, I know what part I will play in this situation. Perhaps since you are widely to blame for all of this mess in the first place, you would do well to keep the threats down to a bare minim, unless you really believe you can back them up." Xelloss said bluntly, and harshly.

"Boy's please." Lina interjected angrily. "All this macho, machoness is really giving me a headache."

Odilia looked from the book to Xelloss mildly confused, but decided it was better to leave the situation alone. After everyone had settled down she cleared her throat and asked, "Alright, is everyone ready?"

"I believe so Miss Odile." Amelia nodded as she looked over each of her companions. "We're ready whenever you are."

"Okay then, Nexus, if you don't mind." Odilia instructed to the book, after she picked it up and held it out in her arms. Immediately a dark miasma began to seep out of the book, filling up the room and swallowing each of them up in it.

The energy filled each of them, making them each feel lighter as they were transported through different planes. When their bodies began to get heavier, they knew they arrived at their destination.

When the miasma faded, they found themselves in a dimly lit room that was like an overly large cavern. It was filled with stone walls, and shallow pools all around. Small streams of light fell around that came through small cracks in the ceiling, and flooded around the room and then bounced and reflected of the waters and stones all around. There were hundreds of crystals that filled up the cavern, giving it a shined look.

"Where are we?" Zelgadis asked. "I don't ever remember seeing this in the temple." He expressed as he looked around the small grotto.

Amelia bushed her hand across the stone surface around her causing crystal dust to be moved around, as she brought her hand up and admired the blue green shine that glittered on her hands.

"It's so pretty." She smiled at it.

"This is where dragon and dragoness would go for purification." Filia spoke out, also touching a rock surfaces and looking at the fine crystal sands on her finger tips. "Now that nobody lives here anymore so it has been unused."

"Why have you brought us here?" Gourry asked as he looked around the dim lit room. "Is there something in here that will help Lina?"

"Not Lina, but Filia and Xelloss." Odilia replied as she swiped her hand across the stones, and clapped her hands causing the glitter from the walls fly around her hands as it trailed to the ground. She smiled at the shiny sparkles that fell from her hands, and then brushed it remaining dust off.

"Mom used to tell me of this place before. She said that the waters enhanced holy spells. I believe if she uses the water as an amplifier, it will help her and dad to project Miss Lina." She announced then walked over to the sorceress. "May I?"

"Oh alright." Lina replied crossing her arms. Odilia reached over and cut a strand of her hair out, and dropped the hair one by one in to a small pool that was separate from the larger pools, causing it to make the water ripple.

"Filia if you would." Odilia asked, as Filia walked over to the glossy blue surface.

Filia closed her eyes and placed her hands out in front of her, as a white light slowly filled her hands, and began to trail down into the water changing the surface to a bright reflective surface. Lina's intrigued face filled the space below.

"Hey it's me!" Lina said, as the water copy joined her in unison.

"Scary." Gourry stated looking down below. Lina quickly jumped up and gave him a good whack on the noggin.

"Now if you don't mind,-" Odilia stated looking at Xelloss, "Join hands with her, and proceed to place your energy the water."

"Join hands?" Filia asked felling violated at the suggestion. "Is that really necessary?"

"No." Odilia replied. "If you don't want to watch Lina then please don't trouble yourself." She said harshly. "If you do, he needs to support your magic to be able to follow Lina along with myself and nexus to the Sea of Chaos."

Pouting, Filia looked back at Xelloss, to see what the smug bastard had to say about this situation. But instead of seeing him smiling or appearing to have a quick witted comment to throw her way, he just looked at her in a business sort of way, with his hand outstretched. This made her feel even more uncomfortable, but she silently reached out her gloved hand, and gave it up to his.

He latched his fingers in-between hers, and then began to transmit his energy down to the pool below. Filia felt her cheeks began to heat, against her wishes, as she looked the other way. He could have just grasped her hand. . This just seemed a little to intimate.

She quickly tried to beat down her embarrassment, knowing that Xelloss, and possibly even Odilia could feel it. After feeling composed she turned back to look at Odilia, who was now removing her bulky black armor.

"Lina, I suggest you remove your armor. Where we are going you will not need it, and it will only make things more difficult on you. The less weight the better." She said as she removed her dark red cape, black gantlets, shoulder gear and even her heavy boots. This left her in only her in her white under leotard that gathered at the neck and was sleeveless that was covered at the waist by a cut red skirt, with hung in panels across her legs. She had white stockings that ended near her upper thigh.

With the lack of the black armor, she didn't look nearly as menacing, but more so a normal girl, with haunting Mazoku eyes and long braided hair.

Lina quickly removed her armor as she was told and placed it on the floor. Without the heavy burden of her shoulder armor, cape and boots, she joined Odilia.

Odilia nodded her head as she stood next to her. They faced the rest of the group, looking determined.

Gourry looked over Lina unable to join her where she was going and looked over her uneasily and slightly saddened. Lina must have noticed this and removed her black head band. "Hey big guy," She shouted at him, as she flung it at him, hitting him square in his dazed face.

"Ouch- Hey Lina, what's the big idea?" Gourry shouted in surprise, grabbing the head band that just caused the red mark on his forehead.

"Hold on to that for me 'kay?" Lina smiled at him and gave him thumbs up. "It's really important to me, so take care of it till I get back."

Gourry looked at the head band for a second then looked at her and smiled. "I will protect it in your place till you return to me." He smiled as he placed it around his wrist causing her to blush briefly.

"Then I know it's in good hands." She called back to him in confidence.

Amelia sighed in happiness and looked up at Zelgadis. "That was rather forward of Miss Lina don't you think Mr. Zelgadis?"

"Perhaps Lina isn't as confident in going to the Lord of Nightmares as we believed." He replied down to her.

"I know she will be ok."Amelia replied confidently.

"Oh and how is that?" Zelgadis asked in a small grin.

"Because Miss Lina is worried about Miss Filia, so she is on a mission for justice." Amelia explained. "And Justice always triumphs."

Zelgadis shook his head at the short dreamer and muttered, "I hope your right Amelia."

"Alright are we ready?" Odilia asked as she looked around the room. Everyone seemed to be in place and ready to go. Odilia took her place in front of Lina then paused as her eyes fell on Filia.

Lina didn't miss the glance and looked over Odilia. "You have something you need to say to her." she whispered to the blond without forming the statement into a question. "This is your last chance."

"I know, but I just think it would be easier to leave it unsaid." Odilia shook her head.

"Is that how you really want to leave it?" Lina asked her.

Odilia looked from Filia to Xelloss, and smiled. "It's fine. Besides, I tricked them in to holding hands, I think that is enough for me." She smiled at Lina. "You know, when they were together, they were very beautiful. Crazy and a little unbalanced, but very beautiful. I've never seen a pair look as right together as they did." She whispered in admiration at her parents.

"Uh, right." Lina chuckled nervously not sure what to say to that statement as she scratched her forehead. Odilia just laughed it off and picked up Nexus.

"All right Miss Lina, first we will need to perform the spell to boost the power of our talismans first. This spell is difficult enough for me to perform on myself, so I believe you will equally have the same problem. We need to be at our most heightened power."

"Wait, is that part of the reason we have been lounging around for three day's while I stuffed my face every meal?" Lina asked suddenly as if it all clicked.

"You don't miss a trick do you?" Odilia smirked at her. "You don't realize how much energy this spell is going to require."

"Well I'm not going to complain, free food is free food." Lina replied happily.

"You're a strange one," Odilia laughed. "Now how about that booster spell?" causing Lina to nodded her head at the taller blonde, as she stretched her arms out to her side, as did Odile.

"Lord of Darkness and the four worlds, I call upon you grant me all the power you possess." They chanted in unison as the talismans began to glow on each of them.

"Alright Lina, when you're ready, open Nexus, the spell is written for you there. I will begin when you are ready."Odilia informed Lina, as she nodded and took a deep breath.

"It was really nice to meet you Miss Odilia!" Amelia shouted out to her, "You too Mr. Nexus. I hope things work out for you."

"Thank you Amelia." Odilia awkwardly smiled back at her, as Zelgadis gave them both a thumbs up.

Xelloss and Filia stared at them both, looking unsure what to say. Odilia's face brightened as she looked at the two and shouted, "No more frowny faces!"

Filia's eyes widened at that small saying, and against her judgment of what was right or wrong, she smiled back to the girl. "Be safe."

"You too." Odilia said back, hopeful.

"Well you know . . ." Filia laughed at her.

"Well take care of things here, you three just focus on things in the future." Xelloss replied with a cheerful grin.

Odilia's eyes brightened as she looked over them both. Her smile faded slightly as she took one last look at them. "You both take care." She whispered, then turned to Lina and nodded her head. Lina returned the gesture and grabbed Nexus from where he was floating.

"Alright, here we go!" Lina shouted as she flew open the book.

Golden light began to shine out of the book as a surge of power pulsed through the air. The colors reflected off of the walls and water around them changing the silvery blue atmosphere to bright gold. Lina looked down at the spell book before her as she flipped a few pages and noticed that the same spell was written on each page inside.

"Alright Odile, you ready?" she asked as she held the golden book out in front of her. "Here we go." She shouted as the two of them began to chant.

Lord of Chaos, Mother of all

Fuse our powers and hear my call

Heed our quest in search of enlightenment

With powers of Present, past and Future combined

We join together to let our determination shine

Bring us to the sea of your existence

Where we can be united together at last . .

Giga Warp!

Golden orbs began to flood out of Nexus as Lina and Odilia as they began the spell. The lights began to slowly wrap around them, and soon after they were both encased in a bright gold light that wove from Nexus, connecting them.

Magic blew from the book, whipping Lina and Odilia's hair and close around as they continued the spell. The force of the magic coming out of the book was strong and bright as they finished up the chant.

Amelia, Zelgadis, Xelloss, Filia and Gourry watched in awe as the bright lights flooded around Lina, swirling and spinning. Then when the spell was completed, the lights shone so bright they each had to avert their eyes.

When the light subdued, and their eyes adjusted, Lina, Odilia, and Nexus were gone. The room returned to its sparkly blue state, in the dimly lit cavern. Quickly, each of them turned to look at the enchanted water below them, prepared to watch Lina meet the mother of all chaos.

The Lord of Nightmares.