Author's Note: No, that was not the only chapter! I was just waiting around for someone to review before I bothered to write another. After all, if no one is reading anything you write, what's the point of writing?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I am lying awake in my bedroll. Lina and the others had long since moved on, and we finally caught up with them. I can't help but mull over Xellos' parting words. "Mei-ou-sama, you must not let Lina-chan and the others find out who you really are. They will most certainly try to kill you, should they realize somehow that you are the Hellmaster, and I don't want to have to explain to my master that her 'brother' was killed again..."
I look over at my current travel companions. Zelgadis, no closer to his cure than before he met Lina. Amelia, punching at an invisible "enemy of justice" in her sleep. Gourry, sleeping on a nearby rock and still in his armor. Lina, seeming strangely angelic as she peacefully rests. I smile brightly as I look at them. They look so easy to kill...
Did I just think that?!? Oh man, it's starting. Phibrizo is taking over. I decide to just try to get to sleep and think about it later. Wait, if I really am Mei-ou, shouldn't I be able to summon those soul orb things? Where are they? Apparently, that question is short-lived. Just thinking about them made three or four soul orbs appear in my palm. I send them away, not wanting to kill anyone...yet, anyway.
The next morning, all seemed to be fairly calm. While I enjoyed it, some feeling deep down inside wanted to set this place ablaze and kill Lina. Man, Phib, don't you ever take a break? Anyway, as I rolled up my bedroll and started along, two things became apparent. Zelgadis has been giving me strange looks, as if he senses there is something wrong about me. The other thing is that I can feel Xellos teleporting around in the woods around this path. Juu-ou must have ordered him to look after me until...until I become a demon again...
We stop at a small lake because Lina is getting hungry again. After a little fishing (read: Lina Fireballed the stream and made everyone else collect the pre-cooked fish,) we sat down to eat. Well, Lina and Gourry, anyway. There doesn't seem to be enough for everyone with those two around. Thinking ahead, I go down to get some water out of the lake for the trip to come. Out here, by this beautiful lake, I have peace of mind, though my darker alter-life seems to disagree. This peace is shattered, however, when I hear someone shouting "I KNEW IT!"
I narrowly avoid a Ra Tilt as I ask what's going on. "So, the Hellmaster has been reborn," Zelgadis says. Sure enough, behind me, my "true" form was reflected in the lake's waters. Gourry looks visibly afraid. Lina stands up, fire dancing in her eyes. "I thought I killed you, Phibrizo! What are you doing here?" Amelia, recognizing me, obviously, climbs a tree and begins into a speech about destroying me in the name of justice, but everyone tunes her out.
This is bad. Really bad. Let's see..."What's a Hellmaster," I ask, playing dumb. Lina is becoming visibly enraged. "What do you mean, 'What's a Hellmaster?' Don't you even try to play dumb! You're the HELLBRAT!" That last word is screamed in my face as Lina's head grows to about three times her body size. "Darkness beyond twilight..."
I summon four soul orbs and begin juggling them. "I wouldn't do that! My toys are very fragile. My excellent hand-eye coordination may fail if you attempt to Dragon Slave me." Then the realization hits me. Phibrizo already is in control, to an extent. I am losing myself...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I am lying awake in my bedroll. Lina and the others had long since moved on, and we finally caught up with them. I can't help but mull over Xellos' parting words. "Mei-ou-sama, you must not let Lina-chan and the others find out who you really are. They will most certainly try to kill you, should they realize somehow that you are the Hellmaster, and I don't want to have to explain to my master that her 'brother' was killed again..."
I look over at my current travel companions. Zelgadis, no closer to his cure than before he met Lina. Amelia, punching at an invisible "enemy of justice" in her sleep. Gourry, sleeping on a nearby rock and still in his armor. Lina, seeming strangely angelic as she peacefully rests. I smile brightly as I look at them. They look so easy to kill...
Did I just think that?!? Oh man, it's starting. Phibrizo is taking over. I decide to just try to get to sleep and think about it later. Wait, if I really am Mei-ou, shouldn't I be able to summon those soul orb things? Where are they? Apparently, that question is short-lived. Just thinking about them made three or four soul orbs appear in my palm. I send them away, not wanting to kill anyone...yet, anyway.
The next morning, all seemed to be fairly calm. While I enjoyed it, some feeling deep down inside wanted to set this place ablaze and kill Lina. Man, Phib, don't you ever take a break? Anyway, as I rolled up my bedroll and started along, two things became apparent. Zelgadis has been giving me strange looks, as if he senses there is something wrong about me. The other thing is that I can feel Xellos teleporting around in the woods around this path. Juu-ou must have ordered him to look after me until...until I become a demon again...
We stop at a small lake because Lina is getting hungry again. After a little fishing (read: Lina Fireballed the stream and made everyone else collect the pre-cooked fish,) we sat down to eat. Well, Lina and Gourry, anyway. There doesn't seem to be enough for everyone with those two around. Thinking ahead, I go down to get some water out of the lake for the trip to come. Out here, by this beautiful lake, I have peace of mind, though my darker alter-life seems to disagree. This peace is shattered, however, when I hear someone shouting "I KNEW IT!"
I narrowly avoid a Ra Tilt as I ask what's going on. "So, the Hellmaster has been reborn," Zelgadis says. Sure enough, behind me, my "true" form was reflected in the lake's waters. Gourry looks visibly afraid. Lina stands up, fire dancing in her eyes. "I thought I killed you, Phibrizo! What are you doing here?" Amelia, recognizing me, obviously, climbs a tree and begins into a speech about destroying me in the name of justice, but everyone tunes her out.
This is bad. Really bad. Let's see..."What's a Hellmaster," I ask, playing dumb. Lina is becoming visibly enraged. "What do you mean, 'What's a Hellmaster?' Don't you even try to play dumb! You're the HELLBRAT!" That last word is screamed in my face as Lina's head grows to about three times her body size. "Darkness beyond twilight..."
I summon four soul orbs and begin juggling them. "I wouldn't do that! My toys are very fragile. My excellent hand-eye coordination may fail if you attempt to Dragon Slave me." Then the realization hits me. Phibrizo already is in control, to an extent. I am losing myself...
