Author's Notes: Sorry about the length of these chapters. I know they are short but its because I want to get them online as soon as possible. I can only writer these in my spare time at school and at home. So, I try to get everything across as well as I can within the time restraints that I have. Enough with the excuses, on with the fic!!

Of Black Chains and Scarlet Letters

Link 4

Lina found herself drifting in utter nothingness with her father. The second her mother had slapped her, Lina's whole world had changed. Gaav snapped his fingers again and a sound, louder than anything possible rang through the blackness. A ball of white light exploded by shrinking itself and all the white light running out like a wave. It whooshed through Lina and Gaav and blinded them for a moment. Lina opened her eyes to a field of deep blue grass and yellow flowers. "Dad…. What is this place?"

Gaav only watched proudly as the field was created past the horizon. His daughter's question was the normal response and he was a little disappointed that she was so naïve, even with her apparent studying. "I think the question you should be asking is 'where is this place,'" he said in a light tone before starting to walk forward. "I am not the one that is allowed to answer those questions. I will take you to the castle and then the head priest will help you."

Lina pondered his answers for a moment and sighed. She ran a little to catch up with her dad and they started to walk. It was many hours before the red sun in the green sky started to set. Lina was exhausted and her stomach was protesting loudly. "WHERE IN THE NINE HELLS IS THIS CASTLE AND DOES IT HAVE ANY FOOD?" She screamed at her father and he turned around smugly.

"All you had to do was ask," he said simply and the castle appeared before them. The castle was black and looked like someone had made it out of magic sand and burning wood. Lina's jaw dropped. "This castle is omnipresent in this world. Also, to answer your question, we are in the third," he said and continued walking.

Lina hit him over the head with her fist and continued walking. After a moment she asked, "The third what?"

Gaav laughed and phazed them to the front door of the castle. A tall thin man met them with short purple hair, a priest's robe, and a large wooden staff. "The third hell of course. Ninth sector though. Its brand new as you can see. You must feel very special to see the birth of a small world such as this."

It took Lina a minute to process the fact that they were already at the castle and the answer she was given. "Don't tell me that you could have just phazed us here immediately….," she said with her eye twitching wildly. Gaav and Xellos only nodded and so Lina whacked them both upside the head. Xellos just giggled while Gaav screamed, "Ow!" She stormed past Xellos and entered the main hall of the castle before the others followed her.

Xellos phazed in front of her and wagged his finger in her face. "Now, now, Lina-chan, this is no place for you to be wondering around. After all, you haven't asked any of your questions yet!" He was way too cheerful for her.

Lina grumbled and leaned against the wall. "So, what's your name. Grape-y the Fruit?"

Xellos's smile only got wider as he tapped his staff on the marble floor. "I, my dear Lina-chan, am The Trickster High Priest! Xellos Metallium at your service! I take cash, inter-dimensional checks, and all major outer world credit cards," he said with a wink.

Lina grumbled and looked over at her father for guidance. He was staring at the tapestry and making random artistic gestures. 'Wonderful, just great… He leaves me talking to the loony..' Lina snorted as she turned back to Xellos, who was making the most random faces. "Ok Xellos, what the hell was the reason for bringing me here?"

He immideately quit with the faces, but continued to smile. "Sore wa.. himitsu desu!" The purple haired man cackled and the castle dissolved away just as he phazed out. Her father was also missing and she kicked at the yellow flowers under her feet.

"And now where am I supposed to go! WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON WITH MY RUINED LIFE! WHY IS L-SAMA DOING THIS TO ME…. Who is the world is L-sama….. Great.. I'm going insane AND talking to myself. Can this get any weirder!" Just at that moment, the world melted away to reveal a forest. She was standing on a rock, and there was a man with teal hair and a large horn on his head. 'Why am I feeling déjà vu?'