Disclaimer: We do not own Slayers, and we're not making any money off of this.
SPECIAL NOTES: This fanfic is written by Nathan J. Urbansic, a good friend of mine who does not have an FF.net account of his own and is currently unable to possess one. Hence I am posting this as a proxy with full permission from the true author.
Please still feel free to review, but keep in mind that all compliments go to Nate. Thanks minna. Enjoy!
ALSO: This is set in a universe parallel with the NEXT storyline. However, a few subtle differences occur, and slightly different choices are made. This just goes to show you that it really is the little things in life that create who we are... And what we become.
SLAYERS NiXT:
Nobody's Perfect
Chapter Three
"Ah! What a great day!" Lina said cheerily.
"It is a nice day, now that you mention it," Amelia agreed. The sky was a brilliant blue and the sun shown down warmly. A slight breeze stirred the leaves of the trees alongside the road. An occasional bird even chirped a jovial tune. In all senses of the word, it really was a beautiful day.
Martina spoke up, "How can you guys be saying that after--" Zel cut her off with a quick hand motion and a stony glare. Martina held her peace in silent apology for broaching the subject. Lina and Amelia carried on as if she hadn't spoken.
"Miss Lina," Amelia said, concerned, "what's that up ahead?" All looked to what lie further down the road.
"Humph, looks likes a couple of fools in search for some easy money," Zel said with a bit of humor. Sure enough, in front of them, not too far off, lay a small, poorly built wall with a handful of mischievous youths brandishing short-swords just beyond it.
"You've got to be kidding me!" said Lina as they drew closer to the would-be thieves. "This is just pathetic!"
Zel smirked in agreement. "I'll take care of them." He made a motion for his sword but was stopped.
"No," said Lina, and then, with a streak of sadism, "They're mine." Zel chuckled lightly. "Oh, source of all power, light which burns beyond crimson, let thy power gather in my hand," Lina chanted.
One of the youths spoke, pointing his sword at the oncoming travelers, "Give us all your money and we may just let you--"
"FIREBALL!" A concentrated ball of flame shot from Lina's hands, exploding in the midst of the bandits, sending some flying through the air while others ran away, partially ablaze. Either way, the road was now clear.
"Aah," Lina sighed pleasantly, "That felt good." Zel grinned as they continued on.
After a short period of serenity, Martina whispered, "Psst, hey, Amelia."
"Nn? What is it?" Amelia whispered back.
"Can I get your opinion on something? One princess to another?"
"Uh, sure. I guess."
"What did you think of that Zangulus?"
"…" Amelia sweatdropped.
"Do you think he'd be worthy of a refined princess like myself?"
"A-heh, heh." Amelia searched for something to say when Lina suddenly silenced the group with a "Sh!"
The group stopped in place and listened for the slightest sound.
Suddenly the sound of scraping bark could be heard, all turned just in time to see someone with long smoked-blue hair fall out from behind a tree into the road.
"Ouch," the newcomer said as she got up and dusted herself off.
"Sylphiel?!" Lina said, surprised.
"Sylphiel?!" Amelia, likewise.
"Oh, hi, everyone." Sylphiel said once she realized whom these people were.
"How'd you come to find us?" Zel asked, a small smile of amusement on his face.
"Well, I was traveling nearby when I felt a powerful sinister presence. I came to see what it was but only found you guys and Miss Lina."
"Just what are you implying?!?!" Lina raged, her form seeming to grow many times its true size.
With a hand, Zel pushed Lina to the ground and held her there while she struggled, yelling out the occasional "Let me at her!" or "I dare you to say it again!" "Sorry about Lina here," Zel comforted Sylphiel, "Lina's just a little fired up is all."
Sylphiel laughed lightly. "So I can see."
Lina finally calm, Zel released her from his hold. She stood up with a "Hmph", trying to maintain her composure and what little dignity she had to begin with.
"Umm, Lina?" Sylphiel said, looking around. "Where's Gourry-dear? I don't see him with you."
A thick, heavy air fell upon everyone. Sylphiel wondered confusedly at the sullen, contemplative faces of those around her. "What is it," she asked. Just then she noticed the Sword of Light hanging from Lina's side and in one motion snatched it up. "This is Gourry-dear's Sword of Light!"
At seeing the legendary blade off of her belt and in someone else's hand, Lina's mood changed into a barely-constrained rage. She threw a glare at Sylphiel so as to utterly destroy her with but a look. "Sylphiel. Give that back." Lina said in a tone no one would dare question.
Sylphiel remained oblivious, though. "Not until you tell me what you've done with Gourry-dear! Oh, how could you do this to him? Abandon him and steal his precious Sword of Light?"
Lina took a threatening step towards Sylphiel. Zel, sensing a potentially lethal situation came between them. "Lina, she doesn't know any better," he said, looking sternly at her. He turned and plucked the Sword of Light from Sylphiel's hands and handed it to Lina. "Here. Now let me handle this." Lina took the sword back and held onto it tightly. With a final scowl at Sylphiel, she turned her back to the naïve girl, conceding the task of telling her to Zel. He approached Sylphiel, herself finally realizing something wasn't right.
"Sylphiel," Zel said with obvious unease, "there's something you need to know." He put an arm on her shoulder and led her over to a rock a short ways away. "You might want to sit down." She sat. "Gourry…" He trailed off, struggling with what to say. "…Gourry's dead." Sylphiel gasped, a hand came up to her mouth. She slowly shook her head, telling herself that it wasn't true, but the solemnity of all around her only reaffirmed what she didn't want to believe. Her eyes began to tear up while her breath became deep and ragged, hanging on the verge of fainting.
"W-Who?" She said weakly, barely holding herself together.
Zel took a deep breath. "It was Hellmaster Phibri--"
"Zel." Lina said firmly from where she was. She turned to meet Zel's gaze and without a word said, understanding was established. Zel stepped away from the seated young woman.
"Sylphiel," Lina said as she took a couple of steps closer to her, "I won't lie to you." The peaceful healer still had trouble breathing, very much overwhelmed. Everyone's attention seemed to be on Lina as she took a deep breath to brace herself for what she had to say. "……..I'm the one who killed Gourry."
A leaden silence smothered everything.
All waited soundlessly as an eternity crawled by in the moments following.
Surprisingly enough, Sylphiel didn't faint out-right. Instead she just stared deeply at Lina with an emotionless mask. The gaze pinned the already vulnerable sorceress in place. Unnoticed, Sylphiel's hands slowly clenched into fists. Sylphiel's mask began to crack and, bit by bit, her emotions seeped out into her expression. What showed was quite unexpected from the peaceful healer. What showed was a look of rage and anger not too far from that of Lina's the night before. Sylphiel stood and, finally, she spoke. "You killed Gourry-dear?"
Lina tried to explain, "Well, it's not really my fault. You see--"
"You killed Gourry-dear?!"
"Yes, but--" Lina shifted uneasily under Sylphiel's agonizing gaze.
"Lina!" Hot tears began to stream down her cheeks, her voice suddenly filled with hurt. "How could you do this to me?!"
Lina tried to think of something to say, to make it all better, to make it all go away, but, sadly, came up short.
"How could you do this to Gourry-dear?!" Sylphiel continued. "Oh, Lina, I trusted him to you! And how did you repay that trust?! You………you killed him………" She trailed off as she was overcome by her tears.
"Sylphiel," said Amelia, longing to comfort her, a hand on her arm from Zel held her back.
Lina reached out her hand to Sylphiel's shoulder, "Listen, Sylphiel…"
"No!" yelled Sylphiel as she pulled back from Lina's touch. She glared at her, the fierce anger from before having returned. "Don't touch me," she spat out at Lina, her voice filled with venom. "You're just as bad as Copy Rezo!" Lina was visibly shaken. "He didn't deserve to live, and neither do you!" Again Lina was hit by Sylphiel's words, as if a dart had pierced her very center. Sylphiel closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
"Surely she can't mean that," Amelia said to Zel. He silently looked on.
Sylphiel opened her eyes, and firmly began, "Darkness from twilight, crimson from blood that flows…"
"What?!?!" Amelia said, surprised.
"What does she think she's doing?" Zel asked aloud. "She can't cast the Dragon Slave."
"…buried in the flow of time. In thy great name I pledge myself to darkness…"
The air became thick with gathering energy.
Zel turned to Amelia, worried, "Can she?!"
"…those who oppose us shall be destroyed by the power you and I possess!"
Zel could sense that recognizable energy of Shabrinigdo and he knew they were going to be on the wrong end of it. He grabbed Amelia by the arm and started running. Martina struggled to keep up. After running for a short ways, Zel noticed that they were short one person. He looked back to see Lina unmoved since her confession to Sylphiel. "Lina! What are you doing?! RUN!!" But he was too late.
"DRAGON SLAVE!"
A hideously dark crimson power consumed everything.
When it cleared there remained a broken, tattered landscape, nearly all life within the blast had been extinguished.
Zel came to with a groan. Slowly he picked himself up and dusted himself off. He could see Sylphiel standing in the center of the crater, still panting from the effort. Amelia whimpered nearby and Zel helped her up.
Zel sighed in astonishment as he overlooked the damage, "I didn't think she had it in her."
Amelia scanned the scene as well, but something caught her eye. "Miss Lina!!" Hurriedly she rushed to a pile of rubble that had the familiar red hair coming from underneath it. Zel followed her.
"Oh, Miss Lina," said Amelia worriedly, as Zel helped remove the last piece of rubble from off the sorceress. Amelia's concern only grew as she looked over the injured Lina. "This is bad. I'll cast healing, but we need Sylphiel's resurrection spell."
Zel looked grimly down at Amelia then Lina. "I'm on it." And with that Zel walked off towards the still glowering white mage. Meanwhile, Amelia continued to cast healing, a silent prayer in her heart.
"Come on, Lina…"
End of chapter three. To be continued...