Slayers: To the End...
By the Sneaky Chibi Otaku Geek
Disclaimer... Hello! Slayers isn't mine. I'm just borrowing the characters for an indefinite period of time. Yeah... that. ^^
Chapter 23 Information is Worth Its Weight in Gold...
Madabar pondered over her problem. She was getting worried. For one, she couldn't feel Lina's presence nor could she find her. She had a few lesser Mazoku here and there keeping an eye on her. They hadn't seen where Lina had gone. Amateurs. That's what she got for not heeding Zelas's advice. But there was no use crying over it. As soon as Lina Inverse appeared once more, she'd have her dreams toyed with again.
Madabar had a simple point of view. The success of someone was partly due to how they saw themselves. If they were confident in themselves, then they had a slightly greater chance of being able to pull it off. But if they doubted, either themselves or the steps they were taking, then that person would falter, and success wasn't as sure. That said,...
Another thing that boosted a leader's self esteem was their followers. If their followers doubted them, or, even better yet, were missing or dead... that decreased the support for the opposing team. Man, she was really good at this stuff! Her eyes twinkled as they thought of many things... mainly about someone's amethyst eyes.
*****
Zephyria was under attack. That was a very surprising thing to happen. After all, Zephyria... well, it was Zephyria! No one wanted to attack it and try to turn it into a small crater in the ground. After all, that's where the most delicious, luscious, and wonderful wine was made! Who would want to destroy the world's best and largest winepresses, wine makers included! If anyone wanted Zephyria, they tried to take over it peacefully, making sure that no vineyards were harmed in the process. It was common sense after all. The second reason why no one dared attack Zephyria was that there was a cafe in there, rumored to have a very important waitress that hated anything that disrupted her daily work routine.
The people of Zephyria looked up as they tried to get out of the way of the Mazoku's attacks. They didn't seem too worried though. They were just getting out of the way for when SHE appeared. A few of the younger and dumber Mazoku were having a blast destroying the city square. This was their first mission, and they were enjoying themselves terribly. Until, of course, someone cleared their throat behind them. Slowly, they turned around and eyed the lone human standing before them, tapping their foot impatiently.
"Look. A human." said one of them.
"How,... interesting." said the other one, trying to sound experienced in the field of destroying towns and generating uproar and death. They obviously weren't, since they didn't recognize who stood before them.
Their conversation was supposed to strike fear in the hearts of humans. Obviously, this human was a little on the slow side, as it didn't even move. The figure cleared its throat.
"You do know where you are now, don't you?" asked the female voice. It was deathly calm. A very still and monotonous voice, they thought. She was wearing a skirt, with an apron over it.
"We're not daft, human." said one of them.
"Perhaps you have no idea where you are?" asked the other, making fun of her. The two laughed at the puny and seemingly harmless human before them.
"I think you probably don't know." There was some sort of little hat on her head.
"Of course we do. This is Zephyria." said the Mazoku.
"Ah, so you are not as stupid as you look." said the female voice quietly. She had a pretty well proportioned body. A very nice body.
The Mazoku weren't quite sure how to respond to her. So they tried their best to look fearsome and deadly.
"I wouldn't go about insulting others, little girl." said one.
"Well, how about practicing what you preach?" asked the girl with ice in her voice. She started to walk slowly and purposefully towards them.
The Mazoku nudged each other and prepared to have fun.
"Would you like to know my name before you die?" she asked seriously.
"Well, we most certainly would like to know who we're going to kill, if you don't mind that." said the Mazoku.
"Oh, don't worry." said the girl. "I'm more than glad to say who I am, but I'm quite afraid that it's you who'll do the dying, sir." She smirked, the corner of her mouth turning up.
"So, who are you?" asked the Mazoku. He prepared to blast her.
"Luna Inverse." she said lightly, as if it were just another name of an average girl who lived there. "You two, can call me by my title though. I'm the Knight of Ceipheed. Sorry, I can't say that it has been a pleasure meeting you." And the Mazoku paled and tried to run. But it was dreadfully too late. And Luna hated it when people interrupted her schedule.
*****
Meanwhile, Filia and Sylphiel were sneaking around the Central Temple of the Golden Dragons, deep within the mountains. They tiptoed from hall to hall, fleet on their feet and as silent as mice. Sylphiel was pretty good at it. She did that the whole time. Filia... was having a few problems...
"This is so annoying." muttered Filia as she ran in front of Sylphiel. "Stupid nanagomi, just dropping us here...." A hand covered her mouth and she was pulled behind a door. Beside her, Sylphiel made motions of being quiet and to calm down. Filia would normally have asked why and exploded, but she was used to Sylphiel. Besides, Sylphiel only covered her mouth when she heard someone coming. It took something quite important to get Sylphiel to do something drastic, so if she thought it was important to yank someone, then she would.
And sure enough, a few seconds later, a pair of dragon priests passed them.
Filia mouthed a thanks at Sylphiel and then the two started to follow the priests in case they were going to were the scroll was usually found.
This time, Filia yanked Sylphiel back as she felt the presence of an Elder Priest. They hid and then they followed him instead of the other two. Filia knew her dragon lore. Only the Most High could see the scroll. This guy could lead them the Sacred Room.
After a few minutes, they decided that the old man was crazy. All he did was walk around in circles and grinning foolishly.
"He reminds me of Xellos." whispered Filia softly to Sylphiel. She stifled a giggle. She then pointed. Filia looked from a table they were hiding behind. The old man suddenly looked about him and seeing no one, pressed part of the granite carvings, and a secret door opened beside him. He entered and the two girls quickly followed him before the door shut on him.
*****
Lina muttered to herself as she traveled the Time tunnel to get to her destination, one year later. As much as she hated to admit it, she was starting to get worried about Xellos. Not that he needed anyone to worry about, but well.... she just couldn't help it!
'Concentrate, Inverse.' thought Lina to herself. She saw the opening. 'Think clearly. Finish your mission. Kill the fruitcake later.' She stepped out.
Lina looked around her. She recognized this place. The palace was west of here. So, that meant Albuntra's house was north. So she flew there. After various turns, she arrived. To her surprise, although the house was there, it didn't look very neat or clean. The part of Lina that had kept house for a few years sighed. It was so messy. It would take years to clean up all that dust. The part of Lina that was a mercenary noted that there seemed to be nothing of value in there. The part of Lina that was Chaos Knight noticed that Albuntra didn't live there anymore. That puzzled her. He had been living here a year ago. She checked a paper she had. It was right. This was the right time line, the right time frame and all that. She went into the house.
There were white drapes over all the furniture to protect them from dust. The bookshelves were empty. The room were empty also. Lina shivered. It was like a ghost house. Lina frowned and left, making tracks to go to the castle. A flash of red caught her eye. Seeing the Princess, Lina began to follow her. They turned east and traveled a few blocks, passing by some stores. Then, the princess stopped before a nice white house, which was bigger. Lina smiled. Of course, they probably changed houses... right? Probably. But the sad look on the princess's face worried her. Had they gotten in a fight? Was he sick? Lina went into the house. It looked nice. And very calm. And neat. One thing she noted... everything was bolted shut. With a bit of trepidation, she mounted the stairs to see where Albuntra was.
*****
The passage was dark. There were a few torches here and there, but they were few and far in between. Sylphiel and Filia held hands to make sure that they didn't get lost. They didn't dare speak, for if they did, then the resounding echoes would blow their cover. The Priest before them hurried on, his footsteps seeming louder than they should be. The Priest finally made it to the end of the tunnel and opened a door at the end with a key he had. The two slipped in after him before the door closed.
Once inside, they realized that the Priest was still smiling. Sylphiel nudged and pointed that to Filia. Filia nodded and pursed her lips. Although she had been gone for some time from here, she knew a bit about customs around here. Mainly, the scroll is sacred. Treat is as such. The Priest took the scroll from the pedestal it sat on.
'Truth be told,' thought Filia. 'This guy looks... half demented...'
"Filia." whispered Sylphiel very softly. "I think... I don't know... but I think he's not supposed to take it with him." Filia looked at him with a start. The Priest was starting to walk to the door and would pass them soon, the scroll sticking out of a pocket.
"I don't know about you... but I think the guy's some sort of crook." said Sylphiel softly. Her purple eyes stared at the guy intently. Filia nodded, took a deep breath, and stepped out into the light, surprising him.
*****
Lina looked into the room, surprised at what she saw. The room was thickly carpeted and the walls were padded so that if you fell against the wall, you wouldn't be hurt. The furniture was glued to the floor... and Albuntra sat at his desk with a silly smile on his face as his quill scratched out something on a piece of parchment. Lina tried not to stare at the chains that had Albuntra tied to the chair.
"Albuntra!" said a voice from downstairs. "It's me! I'm coming up!" A sound of footsteps ensued and finally, the Princess entered the room. Lina stood in a corner, watching the proceedings. "How are you doing?" she asked.
"Hi." he said. He looked up at her and put his quill down. "Who are you?" Lina saw a look of pain cross her eyes before it vanished and was replaced by a smile.
"I'm your wife and a Princess." she said brightly.
"Does that make me a Prince?" he asked.
"Yup!" she said.
"Oh." he said. He looked at her. "So I do know you?"
"Yes. But you always forget later, so don't worry about it." said the Princess. She sat down beside him. "What are you writing?"
"A story!" he said. He giggled and laughed.
"The one about dwarves?" she asked kindly.
"How did you know about it?" he asked, worry and suspicion creeping into his eyes. "I know! You're one a spy, right!!!? I know it! How else would you know about my story!"
"No, I'm not a spy." said the Princess as if she had gone through this for a long time and was half used to it.
"They all say that!" said Albuntra. He tried to get up and then looked at his chains. "You put these on me also!"
"No, I didn't." said the Princess. She sat beside him and took one of his hands and absentmindedly began to stroke and massage his hand. "Sit down, Albuntra. Let me explain." He looked at her and sat down.
Lina bit her lip while she watched the scene unfold before her. She was amazed at the strength the Princess was showing. Who knows what she would have done... how she would have handled it... She blinked back a tear. She wanted to leave, but before she did, she ran over to the manuscript to see if she could get the information she needed. With a sigh, she realized that he hadn't finished it yet. She'd have to visit them again.
*****
"Stop right there!"
Filia's words echoed in the cavern. She had a stern look on her face as she glared at the other man before her.
"And who are you?" asked the man.
"I should be asking that of you." said Filia contemptuously, as she looked at him. She hid the fear and nervousness she was feeling at the present moment.
"You don't seem to belong here." he said. "After all, only the Most High can come in here. What are you doing here?"
"Well, you aren't the Most High either." said Filia. "So put that scroll back!" She lunged for the scroll in his pocket, but he stepped out of the way and turned, keeping one hand near the scroll to protect it.
"Don't think so." he said. He turned and ran for the door, but someone flew at him and tackled him to the ground just as he was about to reach the door. Filia turned and narrowed her eyes as she saw a golden light fill her vision.
*****
Lina sighed. This wasn't the year either. From what she saw, he wasn't writing much. Which meant that the dwarf book wasn't finished yet. How long does it take to right a silly book!!!! She entered the Time Tunnel again and tried the next year. Hopefully, he would start writing again... sometime soon. She was getting more and more depressed as she traveled.
*****
Sylphiel was scared. She was very, very scared, and had no idea what in the world had possessed her to leap out at the man and tackle him to the ground. She had just been there, in the shadows, seeing what Filia would do. She knew that the man wasn't the Priest guy. Xellos had left a note, stating that the priest wasn't in because he had left to attend a meeting. She also knew that the guy wasn't supposed to take the scroll. And she also knew that if the guy left with the scroll, they would loose both him and the scroll, and some important part of the puzzle would be lost and then that would cause more problems for everyone. So she leapt at him and hit his head with her small staff, which happened to have quite a nice and big crystal. Of course, since she didn't have much experience doing this, she missed and hit his shoulder, and they fell down.
Sylphiel panicked. And she did the only thing she was good at apart from casting Dragon Slaves. She screamed and hit whatever with her stick, hoping that one of them would hit his head and knock him out. Or something like that. She didn't notice the light around her. Sure, Sylphiel was usually a quiet and mousy type of girl, but when the time called for it, she had learned to scream and hit like a pro.
Filia watched with amazement. She was very surprised. Number one,... the guy seemed to be loosing. Two, Sylphiel had jumped at him. Three, she was screaming and yelling like crazy while hitting him repeatedly with her small staff. To be more precise,... she was yelling... "Stop moving or I'll hit you harder!" And finally... she was glowing with a yellowish golden light.
"Hey, Sylphiel, I think you got him." said Filia when she noticed that the man had stopped moving. She touched her shoulder and Sylphiel looked up. She looked down. She blushed. She quickly got up and ran to the wall. "Don't worry, Sylphiel. You did a great job on him. I'm sure Gourry and the others will be very proud of you." She grabbed the scroll and hid it in her clothes. Sylphiel blushed even stronger and Filia had to smile. It was nice to know that even Sylphiel was prone to having small bouts of violence and insanity. Well, in reality, it made you feel nervous. "Let's go." Sylphiel nodded and then stared at the man. She walked over to him and waved her staff on him. She muttered a few words and then hit him quite strongly on the head.
"Forget." she said. Then she followed Filia out.
"You know..." said Filia. "That was smart."
"Thanks... " said Sylphiel softly. She had stopped glowing and was behaving meekly as usual.
"I mean,... if the spell doesn't work to erase his memory, the hit to his head sure will do it!" said Filia. And Sylphiel coughed discreetly and smiled nervously. The two left.
*****
Lina looked about her. This was the seventh try. She checked every few months to see if there was anything new. She only needed to know the names, after all... This was a few years later. She once again entered the house and looked at the manuscript. She blocked out the conversations they were having. He seemed to be getting better, and the Princess visited him every day. The visits seemed to do him some good, but he was still a little... off. For the seventh time, she wished that she could flip the pages, but she wasn't really there, and couldn't touch anything, just like they couldn't touch her. So she had to wait for Albuntra to say them or write them and hope that she was in the right place. Nope... but he was getting closer... She settled down and waited. Albuntra rambled on and on about the story while the Princess smiled and nodded. She was about to doze off, when the word "names" caught her attention. She woke up and listened alertly. And she smiled. Such.... silly names... just like his prophecy.
*****
Filia and Sylphiel tried to walk calmly as they got out of the tunnel. They were almost out. Just a bit more, and then they could call Xellos and leave and this stupid mission would be over with. Just then, a troop of dragon guards ran into the hall. The leader stopped and looked at them.
"Dragon priestess." said the leader. "Have you heard anything around here?" Filia silently wiped her forehead. Obviously, the people thought she was a priestess. Good.
"No, I am afraid I haven't." said Filia.
"And you, young scribe?" asked the leader to Sylphiel. Sylphiel curtsied lightly.
"I am sorry, but I haven't heard anything either." she said.
"What happened?" asked Filia.
"We heard some screaming and the alarms guarding the Ancient Scroll have been sounded." said the leader.
"Oh, that is horrible!" said Filia. "If we see anything we shall most surely tell you." She led Sylphiel out of the way and the guards ran down the corridor. As soon as the guards where gone, the two girls looked at each other and then ran for it, hoping that the guards wouldn't be back.
They ran into another group of dragons.
"What's going on here?" asked one of them.
"Oh, we're very sorry." said Filia, as she bowed her head, and hoped that they wouldn't be recognized. "We have been summoned and are trying to get there." She then ran passed them, Sylphiel trailing behind them. As Filia and Sylphiel rounded the corner, they heard someone shout.
"Hey! I recognize her... She's..!" They ran even faster. They finally passed the magic barrier that was surrounding the center of the temple. And with a loud telepathic scream, she called for Xellos.
'Xellos!!!!! Get your scrawny little butt over here now!!!!!'
*****
Lina sighed. It was over. She knew the names, and she was glad that she wouldn't have to go here for a long time. She took one last look at them and wished them the best, even though she knew they didn't hear her. While in the Time Tunnel, she thought and changed her course. She arrived in the castle, a few years later. Looking around her, she flew over to where the asylum for Albuntra was. She entered, looked and smiled. With that, she left and went back home. It was about time to kick some Mazoku butt for leaving her all alone. As she changed course to go home she felt a presence and turned. On seeing the golden eyes of L-sama, she bowed.
"Were you able to find what you wished?" asked L-sama. She was in a serious mood.
"Yes, Lord of Nightmares." she said.
"I am glad." said the deity. "This is my next mission for you." Lina nodded and bowed once more. L-sama handed her a plain and nondescript manila envelope, with the words 'CONFIDENTIAL' written across it in red curly handwriting. This really changed her plans, but what L-sama willed, Lina Inverse did. And if you didn't like it,... well... too bad for you. Get over it.
*****
The Temple was close to shambles. Xellos had immediately appeared before Filia and Sylphiel, bidding them good day. Filia had been startled and took out her mace and whammed it into his face, screaming, "NANAGOMI!" Needless to say, her scream had carried across the corridors and halls, and immediately there were a quiet a few dragon guards surrounding them.
"I demand you to let the two fair maidens go!" shouted someone. Filia recognized him as the one who had thought she was a priestess.
"But she's Filia!" said another voice. Filia also recognized that voice belonging to the second group they had run into.
"The traitor?" some asked.
"I am not a traitor!" she shouted. No one paid attention to her.
"And look! She has formed an allegiance with the Mazoku!" shouted another one.
"I did not!" she shouted.
"Yes she did!" said Xellos cheerfully. "Now, if you'll let us go, we have other more important things to do, Filia and I." He looked suggestively at Filia and kissed her cheek. "Right... my little dragon?"
"You... you... you.... NANAGOMI!" she screamed, her face bright pink.
"Oh my....." said Sylphiel. Xellos smiled. He was definitely enjoying this. First there was Filia's anger and embarrassment. Then, there were the guard's amazement. Yummy, yummy, yummy... he should do this more often.
"Now, now, Filia chan!" said Xellos. "No need to be so upset. They would have figured it out sooner or later."
"You little lying, incorrigible, horrible, filthy, disgusting little...." started Filia as she wound up to hit him with her mace.
"...partner?" he finished for her. She screamed, threw her mace at his face and then pounded him into the floor. Around her, the other dragons began wishing that they hadn't come here.
"And you!" she shouted as she glared at the hoards of dragons around her. "Get out of here before I hit you also!" Her eyes glowed and her hair floated slightly about her. There was a whispered conference from the guards.
"They are only three."
"Yeah... Two now, since the blond lady hit the purple haired guy."
"You idiots! If she can defeat a Mazoku, don't you think she can defeat us also?"
"But they are only two women! We are many men!"
"Well... if you're sure."
"Let's do it!"
"Are you all finished yet?" asked Filia sharply. This was just too much. Xellos was making faces at her, and Sylphiel was sitting down on a nearby chair and politely waiting for something to happen. Filia had the strange sensation that Sylphiel was waiting for someone to fight so that it'd give her another reason to snap... And then, the stupid dragons were spending forever talking.
"We have decided to attack you." said the leader of the dragons. He noticed with trepidation that the insane glare in Filia's eyes was increasing. Xellos stopped making faces as a golden glow filled the whole place, with Filia at its center. And she exploded.
A few minutes later...
"Well, Filia.... I must congratulate you." said Xellos. He looked at her through half-veiled eyes. "You would have made a great Mazoku. Have you ever thought of joining the Mazoku? It's not that hard. There are quite a few ways. One of the most favorable one is to kill you and then resurrect you. The other, is of course, forming a bond with another mazoku... like with me!" He grinned.
"Shut up." said Filia as she looked at the area that was blasted to smithereens about her. Sylphiel smiled from her chair. The area around her suffered absolutely no damage. The chair was intact, and some of the floor tiles surrounded her, forming a perfect circle with her at its center. Xellos watched both of them. This was... odd. He would have to have a chat with his boss concerning changes in plans and all that. And the sun set.
*****
It was night. Everyone was sleeping. Zelgadis had made sure of it. Through out the whole day, he had been curious. He really wanted to try this out. But in case he failed, everyone was snoring and sleeping. No one would watch his humiliation if it didn't work. Which was why he had waited all day long. He stood a distance from the camp and concentrated. He knew very little about Chaotic magic. That had been Lina's... area of interest. So he had no idea what to expect. So, he just did it the simple way. He closed his eyes and concentrated. He mentally called for L-sama. He had done it once, but that was a mistake. Now, he wanted to ask her a few things. His brows furrowed as he tried, but all in vain.
He finally opened his eyes. This was harder than what he thought it'd be. Of course, he wasn't even sure what he was expecting in the first place.
"That was stupid." he said softly to himself. He wiped the sweat off his brow and went back to the camp to keep an eye on things until his watch was over. He sat down on a log, his hands resting on a piece of paper on it that wasn't there before. Curiously, he took the note and read it.
'Go to Sleep', it said. Zelgadis eyed the note suspiciously. He went and woke one of the guys up and told him to keep watch, since it was their turn already. With that, Zelgadis set a shield around the watch, and did what the note said. He went to sleep. Who knows what happened. Who knows what he dreamed. But his lips turned up at the covers, and when he woke up in the morning, he wasn't in a grouchy mood. In fact, rumors around camp said that the Captain was actually glowing. But of course, rumors are rumors. Nobody paid too much attention to it.
*****
Lina dropped into his room, dropped the list of names and a note on his pillow and left in a blinding flash. She had to move quickly and she wanted this to go well.
Xellos entered it a few hours later, having been hammered and screamed at for almost two hours. He wouldn't admit it, but he was quite tired and worn out. He hadn't felt this full in years. Perhaps if he embarrassed Lina like this,... yeah... that'd be fun. He fell on his bed and a paper hit his cheek. He saw the papers read them and raised an eyebrow. My,... that was... interesting...
Author's Notes Hi!!! Sorry it took me so long to update. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. Forgive me!!!! ^^ Anyway, I hope this chapter was worth the wait. Thank you once more to all of you who keep on supporting and encouraging me as I write. Thank you! Arigato! You guys are wonderful! So, tell me what you think, whether it be good or bad. I extremely appreciate your comments as they inspire me to write as best I can. Thanx! Take care, all of you!
Hotaru
Sorry, no quotes this time... except for one of my own....
"Everyone needs something to be obssesive about." -me
Disclaimer... Hello! Slayers isn't mine. I'm just borrowing the characters for an indefinite period of time. Yeah... that. ^^
Chapter 23 Information is Worth Its Weight in Gold...
Madabar pondered over her problem. She was getting worried. For one, she couldn't feel Lina's presence nor could she find her. She had a few lesser Mazoku here and there keeping an eye on her. They hadn't seen where Lina had gone. Amateurs. That's what she got for not heeding Zelas's advice. But there was no use crying over it. As soon as Lina Inverse appeared once more, she'd have her dreams toyed with again.
Madabar had a simple point of view. The success of someone was partly due to how they saw themselves. If they were confident in themselves, then they had a slightly greater chance of being able to pull it off. But if they doubted, either themselves or the steps they were taking, then that person would falter, and success wasn't as sure. That said,...
Another thing that boosted a leader's self esteem was their followers. If their followers doubted them, or, even better yet, were missing or dead... that decreased the support for the opposing team. Man, she was really good at this stuff! Her eyes twinkled as they thought of many things... mainly about someone's amethyst eyes.
*****
Zephyria was under attack. That was a very surprising thing to happen. After all, Zephyria... well, it was Zephyria! No one wanted to attack it and try to turn it into a small crater in the ground. After all, that's where the most delicious, luscious, and wonderful wine was made! Who would want to destroy the world's best and largest winepresses, wine makers included! If anyone wanted Zephyria, they tried to take over it peacefully, making sure that no vineyards were harmed in the process. It was common sense after all. The second reason why no one dared attack Zephyria was that there was a cafe in there, rumored to have a very important waitress that hated anything that disrupted her daily work routine.
The people of Zephyria looked up as they tried to get out of the way of the Mazoku's attacks. They didn't seem too worried though. They were just getting out of the way for when SHE appeared. A few of the younger and dumber Mazoku were having a blast destroying the city square. This was their first mission, and they were enjoying themselves terribly. Until, of course, someone cleared their throat behind them. Slowly, they turned around and eyed the lone human standing before them, tapping their foot impatiently.
"Look. A human." said one of them.
"How,... interesting." said the other one, trying to sound experienced in the field of destroying towns and generating uproar and death. They obviously weren't, since they didn't recognize who stood before them.
Their conversation was supposed to strike fear in the hearts of humans. Obviously, this human was a little on the slow side, as it didn't even move. The figure cleared its throat.
"You do know where you are now, don't you?" asked the female voice. It was deathly calm. A very still and monotonous voice, they thought. She was wearing a skirt, with an apron over it.
"We're not daft, human." said one of them.
"Perhaps you have no idea where you are?" asked the other, making fun of her. The two laughed at the puny and seemingly harmless human before them.
"I think you probably don't know." There was some sort of little hat on her head.
"Of course we do. This is Zephyria." said the Mazoku.
"Ah, so you are not as stupid as you look." said the female voice quietly. She had a pretty well proportioned body. A very nice body.
The Mazoku weren't quite sure how to respond to her. So they tried their best to look fearsome and deadly.
"I wouldn't go about insulting others, little girl." said one.
"Well, how about practicing what you preach?" asked the girl with ice in her voice. She started to walk slowly and purposefully towards them.
The Mazoku nudged each other and prepared to have fun.
"Would you like to know my name before you die?" she asked seriously.
"Well, we most certainly would like to know who we're going to kill, if you don't mind that." said the Mazoku.
"Oh, don't worry." said the girl. "I'm more than glad to say who I am, but I'm quite afraid that it's you who'll do the dying, sir." She smirked, the corner of her mouth turning up.
"So, who are you?" asked the Mazoku. He prepared to blast her.
"Luna Inverse." she said lightly, as if it were just another name of an average girl who lived there. "You two, can call me by my title though. I'm the Knight of Ceipheed. Sorry, I can't say that it has been a pleasure meeting you." And the Mazoku paled and tried to run. But it was dreadfully too late. And Luna hated it when people interrupted her schedule.
*****
Meanwhile, Filia and Sylphiel were sneaking around the Central Temple of the Golden Dragons, deep within the mountains. They tiptoed from hall to hall, fleet on their feet and as silent as mice. Sylphiel was pretty good at it. She did that the whole time. Filia... was having a few problems...
"This is so annoying." muttered Filia as she ran in front of Sylphiel. "Stupid nanagomi, just dropping us here...." A hand covered her mouth and she was pulled behind a door. Beside her, Sylphiel made motions of being quiet and to calm down. Filia would normally have asked why and exploded, but she was used to Sylphiel. Besides, Sylphiel only covered her mouth when she heard someone coming. It took something quite important to get Sylphiel to do something drastic, so if she thought it was important to yank someone, then she would.
And sure enough, a few seconds later, a pair of dragon priests passed them.
Filia mouthed a thanks at Sylphiel and then the two started to follow the priests in case they were going to were the scroll was usually found.
This time, Filia yanked Sylphiel back as she felt the presence of an Elder Priest. They hid and then they followed him instead of the other two. Filia knew her dragon lore. Only the Most High could see the scroll. This guy could lead them the Sacred Room.
After a few minutes, they decided that the old man was crazy. All he did was walk around in circles and grinning foolishly.
"He reminds me of Xellos." whispered Filia softly to Sylphiel. She stifled a giggle. She then pointed. Filia looked from a table they were hiding behind. The old man suddenly looked about him and seeing no one, pressed part of the granite carvings, and a secret door opened beside him. He entered and the two girls quickly followed him before the door shut on him.
*****
Lina muttered to herself as she traveled the Time tunnel to get to her destination, one year later. As much as she hated to admit it, she was starting to get worried about Xellos. Not that he needed anyone to worry about, but well.... she just couldn't help it!
'Concentrate, Inverse.' thought Lina to herself. She saw the opening. 'Think clearly. Finish your mission. Kill the fruitcake later.' She stepped out.
Lina looked around her. She recognized this place. The palace was west of here. So, that meant Albuntra's house was north. So she flew there. After various turns, she arrived. To her surprise, although the house was there, it didn't look very neat or clean. The part of Lina that had kept house for a few years sighed. It was so messy. It would take years to clean up all that dust. The part of Lina that was a mercenary noted that there seemed to be nothing of value in there. The part of Lina that was Chaos Knight noticed that Albuntra didn't live there anymore. That puzzled her. He had been living here a year ago. She checked a paper she had. It was right. This was the right time line, the right time frame and all that. She went into the house.
There were white drapes over all the furniture to protect them from dust. The bookshelves were empty. The room were empty also. Lina shivered. It was like a ghost house. Lina frowned and left, making tracks to go to the castle. A flash of red caught her eye. Seeing the Princess, Lina began to follow her. They turned east and traveled a few blocks, passing by some stores. Then, the princess stopped before a nice white house, which was bigger. Lina smiled. Of course, they probably changed houses... right? Probably. But the sad look on the princess's face worried her. Had they gotten in a fight? Was he sick? Lina went into the house. It looked nice. And very calm. And neat. One thing she noted... everything was bolted shut. With a bit of trepidation, she mounted the stairs to see where Albuntra was.
*****
The passage was dark. There were a few torches here and there, but they were few and far in between. Sylphiel and Filia held hands to make sure that they didn't get lost. They didn't dare speak, for if they did, then the resounding echoes would blow their cover. The Priest before them hurried on, his footsteps seeming louder than they should be. The Priest finally made it to the end of the tunnel and opened a door at the end with a key he had. The two slipped in after him before the door closed.
Once inside, they realized that the Priest was still smiling. Sylphiel nudged and pointed that to Filia. Filia nodded and pursed her lips. Although she had been gone for some time from here, she knew a bit about customs around here. Mainly, the scroll is sacred. Treat is as such. The Priest took the scroll from the pedestal it sat on.
'Truth be told,' thought Filia. 'This guy looks... half demented...'
"Filia." whispered Sylphiel very softly. "I think... I don't know... but I think he's not supposed to take it with him." Filia looked at him with a start. The Priest was starting to walk to the door and would pass them soon, the scroll sticking out of a pocket.
"I don't know about you... but I think the guy's some sort of crook." said Sylphiel softly. Her purple eyes stared at the guy intently. Filia nodded, took a deep breath, and stepped out into the light, surprising him.
*****
Lina looked into the room, surprised at what she saw. The room was thickly carpeted and the walls were padded so that if you fell against the wall, you wouldn't be hurt. The furniture was glued to the floor... and Albuntra sat at his desk with a silly smile on his face as his quill scratched out something on a piece of parchment. Lina tried not to stare at the chains that had Albuntra tied to the chair.
"Albuntra!" said a voice from downstairs. "It's me! I'm coming up!" A sound of footsteps ensued and finally, the Princess entered the room. Lina stood in a corner, watching the proceedings. "How are you doing?" she asked.
"Hi." he said. He looked up at her and put his quill down. "Who are you?" Lina saw a look of pain cross her eyes before it vanished and was replaced by a smile.
"I'm your wife and a Princess." she said brightly.
"Does that make me a Prince?" he asked.
"Yup!" she said.
"Oh." he said. He looked at her. "So I do know you?"
"Yes. But you always forget later, so don't worry about it." said the Princess. She sat down beside him. "What are you writing?"
"A story!" he said. He giggled and laughed.
"The one about dwarves?" she asked kindly.
"How did you know about it?" he asked, worry and suspicion creeping into his eyes. "I know! You're one a spy, right!!!? I know it! How else would you know about my story!"
"No, I'm not a spy." said the Princess as if she had gone through this for a long time and was half used to it.
"They all say that!" said Albuntra. He tried to get up and then looked at his chains. "You put these on me also!"
"No, I didn't." said the Princess. She sat beside him and took one of his hands and absentmindedly began to stroke and massage his hand. "Sit down, Albuntra. Let me explain." He looked at her and sat down.
Lina bit her lip while she watched the scene unfold before her. She was amazed at the strength the Princess was showing. Who knows what she would have done... how she would have handled it... She blinked back a tear. She wanted to leave, but before she did, she ran over to the manuscript to see if she could get the information she needed. With a sigh, she realized that he hadn't finished it yet. She'd have to visit them again.
*****
"Stop right there!"
Filia's words echoed in the cavern. She had a stern look on her face as she glared at the other man before her.
"And who are you?" asked the man.
"I should be asking that of you." said Filia contemptuously, as she looked at him. She hid the fear and nervousness she was feeling at the present moment.
"You don't seem to belong here." he said. "After all, only the Most High can come in here. What are you doing here?"
"Well, you aren't the Most High either." said Filia. "So put that scroll back!" She lunged for the scroll in his pocket, but he stepped out of the way and turned, keeping one hand near the scroll to protect it.
"Don't think so." he said. He turned and ran for the door, but someone flew at him and tackled him to the ground just as he was about to reach the door. Filia turned and narrowed her eyes as she saw a golden light fill her vision.
*****
Lina sighed. This wasn't the year either. From what she saw, he wasn't writing much. Which meant that the dwarf book wasn't finished yet. How long does it take to right a silly book!!!! She entered the Time Tunnel again and tried the next year. Hopefully, he would start writing again... sometime soon. She was getting more and more depressed as she traveled.
*****
Sylphiel was scared. She was very, very scared, and had no idea what in the world had possessed her to leap out at the man and tackle him to the ground. She had just been there, in the shadows, seeing what Filia would do. She knew that the man wasn't the Priest guy. Xellos had left a note, stating that the priest wasn't in because he had left to attend a meeting. She also knew that the guy wasn't supposed to take the scroll. And she also knew that if the guy left with the scroll, they would loose both him and the scroll, and some important part of the puzzle would be lost and then that would cause more problems for everyone. So she leapt at him and hit his head with her small staff, which happened to have quite a nice and big crystal. Of course, since she didn't have much experience doing this, she missed and hit his shoulder, and they fell down.
Sylphiel panicked. And she did the only thing she was good at apart from casting Dragon Slaves. She screamed and hit whatever with her stick, hoping that one of them would hit his head and knock him out. Or something like that. She didn't notice the light around her. Sure, Sylphiel was usually a quiet and mousy type of girl, but when the time called for it, she had learned to scream and hit like a pro.
Filia watched with amazement. She was very surprised. Number one,... the guy seemed to be loosing. Two, Sylphiel had jumped at him. Three, she was screaming and yelling like crazy while hitting him repeatedly with her small staff. To be more precise,... she was yelling... "Stop moving or I'll hit you harder!" And finally... she was glowing with a yellowish golden light.
"Hey, Sylphiel, I think you got him." said Filia when she noticed that the man had stopped moving. She touched her shoulder and Sylphiel looked up. She looked down. She blushed. She quickly got up and ran to the wall. "Don't worry, Sylphiel. You did a great job on him. I'm sure Gourry and the others will be very proud of you." She grabbed the scroll and hid it in her clothes. Sylphiel blushed even stronger and Filia had to smile. It was nice to know that even Sylphiel was prone to having small bouts of violence and insanity. Well, in reality, it made you feel nervous. "Let's go." Sylphiel nodded and then stared at the man. She walked over to him and waved her staff on him. She muttered a few words and then hit him quite strongly on the head.
"Forget." she said. Then she followed Filia out.
"You know..." said Filia. "That was smart."
"Thanks... " said Sylphiel softly. She had stopped glowing and was behaving meekly as usual.
"I mean,... if the spell doesn't work to erase his memory, the hit to his head sure will do it!" said Filia. And Sylphiel coughed discreetly and smiled nervously. The two left.
*****
Lina looked about her. This was the seventh try. She checked every few months to see if there was anything new. She only needed to know the names, after all... This was a few years later. She once again entered the house and looked at the manuscript. She blocked out the conversations they were having. He seemed to be getting better, and the Princess visited him every day. The visits seemed to do him some good, but he was still a little... off. For the seventh time, she wished that she could flip the pages, but she wasn't really there, and couldn't touch anything, just like they couldn't touch her. So she had to wait for Albuntra to say them or write them and hope that she was in the right place. Nope... but he was getting closer... She settled down and waited. Albuntra rambled on and on about the story while the Princess smiled and nodded. She was about to doze off, when the word "names" caught her attention. She woke up and listened alertly. And she smiled. Such.... silly names... just like his prophecy.
*****
Filia and Sylphiel tried to walk calmly as they got out of the tunnel. They were almost out. Just a bit more, and then they could call Xellos and leave and this stupid mission would be over with. Just then, a troop of dragon guards ran into the hall. The leader stopped and looked at them.
"Dragon priestess." said the leader. "Have you heard anything around here?" Filia silently wiped her forehead. Obviously, the people thought she was a priestess. Good.
"No, I am afraid I haven't." said Filia.
"And you, young scribe?" asked the leader to Sylphiel. Sylphiel curtsied lightly.
"I am sorry, but I haven't heard anything either." she said.
"What happened?" asked Filia.
"We heard some screaming and the alarms guarding the Ancient Scroll have been sounded." said the leader.
"Oh, that is horrible!" said Filia. "If we see anything we shall most surely tell you." She led Sylphiel out of the way and the guards ran down the corridor. As soon as the guards where gone, the two girls looked at each other and then ran for it, hoping that the guards wouldn't be back.
They ran into another group of dragons.
"What's going on here?" asked one of them.
"Oh, we're very sorry." said Filia, as she bowed her head, and hoped that they wouldn't be recognized. "We have been summoned and are trying to get there." She then ran passed them, Sylphiel trailing behind them. As Filia and Sylphiel rounded the corner, they heard someone shout.
"Hey! I recognize her... She's..!" They ran even faster. They finally passed the magic barrier that was surrounding the center of the temple. And with a loud telepathic scream, she called for Xellos.
'Xellos!!!!! Get your scrawny little butt over here now!!!!!'
*****
Lina sighed. It was over. She knew the names, and she was glad that she wouldn't have to go here for a long time. She took one last look at them and wished them the best, even though she knew they didn't hear her. While in the Time Tunnel, she thought and changed her course. She arrived in the castle, a few years later. Looking around her, she flew over to where the asylum for Albuntra was. She entered, looked and smiled. With that, she left and went back home. It was about time to kick some Mazoku butt for leaving her all alone. As she changed course to go home she felt a presence and turned. On seeing the golden eyes of L-sama, she bowed.
"Were you able to find what you wished?" asked L-sama. She was in a serious mood.
"Yes, Lord of Nightmares." she said.
"I am glad." said the deity. "This is my next mission for you." Lina nodded and bowed once more. L-sama handed her a plain and nondescript manila envelope, with the words 'CONFIDENTIAL' written across it in red curly handwriting. This really changed her plans, but what L-sama willed, Lina Inverse did. And if you didn't like it,... well... too bad for you. Get over it.
*****
The Temple was close to shambles. Xellos had immediately appeared before Filia and Sylphiel, bidding them good day. Filia had been startled and took out her mace and whammed it into his face, screaming, "NANAGOMI!" Needless to say, her scream had carried across the corridors and halls, and immediately there were a quiet a few dragon guards surrounding them.
"I demand you to let the two fair maidens go!" shouted someone. Filia recognized him as the one who had thought she was a priestess.
"But she's Filia!" said another voice. Filia also recognized that voice belonging to the second group they had run into.
"The traitor?" some asked.
"I am not a traitor!" she shouted. No one paid attention to her.
"And look! She has formed an allegiance with the Mazoku!" shouted another one.
"I did not!" she shouted.
"Yes she did!" said Xellos cheerfully. "Now, if you'll let us go, we have other more important things to do, Filia and I." He looked suggestively at Filia and kissed her cheek. "Right... my little dragon?"
"You... you... you.... NANAGOMI!" she screamed, her face bright pink.
"Oh my....." said Sylphiel. Xellos smiled. He was definitely enjoying this. First there was Filia's anger and embarrassment. Then, there were the guard's amazement. Yummy, yummy, yummy... he should do this more often.
"Now, now, Filia chan!" said Xellos. "No need to be so upset. They would have figured it out sooner or later."
"You little lying, incorrigible, horrible, filthy, disgusting little...." started Filia as she wound up to hit him with her mace.
"...partner?" he finished for her. She screamed, threw her mace at his face and then pounded him into the floor. Around her, the other dragons began wishing that they hadn't come here.
"And you!" she shouted as she glared at the hoards of dragons around her. "Get out of here before I hit you also!" Her eyes glowed and her hair floated slightly about her. There was a whispered conference from the guards.
"They are only three."
"Yeah... Two now, since the blond lady hit the purple haired guy."
"You idiots! If she can defeat a Mazoku, don't you think she can defeat us also?"
"But they are only two women! We are many men!"
"Well... if you're sure."
"Let's do it!"
"Are you all finished yet?" asked Filia sharply. This was just too much. Xellos was making faces at her, and Sylphiel was sitting down on a nearby chair and politely waiting for something to happen. Filia had the strange sensation that Sylphiel was waiting for someone to fight so that it'd give her another reason to snap... And then, the stupid dragons were spending forever talking.
"We have decided to attack you." said the leader of the dragons. He noticed with trepidation that the insane glare in Filia's eyes was increasing. Xellos stopped making faces as a golden glow filled the whole place, with Filia at its center. And she exploded.
A few minutes later...
"Well, Filia.... I must congratulate you." said Xellos. He looked at her through half-veiled eyes. "You would have made a great Mazoku. Have you ever thought of joining the Mazoku? It's not that hard. There are quite a few ways. One of the most favorable one is to kill you and then resurrect you. The other, is of course, forming a bond with another mazoku... like with me!" He grinned.
"Shut up." said Filia as she looked at the area that was blasted to smithereens about her. Sylphiel smiled from her chair. The area around her suffered absolutely no damage. The chair was intact, and some of the floor tiles surrounded her, forming a perfect circle with her at its center. Xellos watched both of them. This was... odd. He would have to have a chat with his boss concerning changes in plans and all that. And the sun set.
*****
It was night. Everyone was sleeping. Zelgadis had made sure of it. Through out the whole day, he had been curious. He really wanted to try this out. But in case he failed, everyone was snoring and sleeping. No one would watch his humiliation if it didn't work. Which was why he had waited all day long. He stood a distance from the camp and concentrated. He knew very little about Chaotic magic. That had been Lina's... area of interest. So he had no idea what to expect. So, he just did it the simple way. He closed his eyes and concentrated. He mentally called for L-sama. He had done it once, but that was a mistake. Now, he wanted to ask her a few things. His brows furrowed as he tried, but all in vain.
He finally opened his eyes. This was harder than what he thought it'd be. Of course, he wasn't even sure what he was expecting in the first place.
"That was stupid." he said softly to himself. He wiped the sweat off his brow and went back to the camp to keep an eye on things until his watch was over. He sat down on a log, his hands resting on a piece of paper on it that wasn't there before. Curiously, he took the note and read it.
'Go to Sleep', it said. Zelgadis eyed the note suspiciously. He went and woke one of the guys up and told him to keep watch, since it was their turn already. With that, Zelgadis set a shield around the watch, and did what the note said. He went to sleep. Who knows what happened. Who knows what he dreamed. But his lips turned up at the covers, and when he woke up in the morning, he wasn't in a grouchy mood. In fact, rumors around camp said that the Captain was actually glowing. But of course, rumors are rumors. Nobody paid too much attention to it.
*****
Lina dropped into his room, dropped the list of names and a note on his pillow and left in a blinding flash. She had to move quickly and she wanted this to go well.
Xellos entered it a few hours later, having been hammered and screamed at for almost two hours. He wouldn't admit it, but he was quite tired and worn out. He hadn't felt this full in years. Perhaps if he embarrassed Lina like this,... yeah... that'd be fun. He fell on his bed and a paper hit his cheek. He saw the papers read them and raised an eyebrow. My,... that was... interesting...
Author's Notes Hi!!! Sorry it took me so long to update. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. Forgive me!!!! ^^ Anyway, I hope this chapter was worth the wait. Thank you once more to all of you who keep on supporting and encouraging me as I write. Thank you! Arigato! You guys are wonderful! So, tell me what you think, whether it be good or bad. I extremely appreciate your comments as they inspire me to write as best I can. Thanx! Take care, all of you!
Hotaru
Sorry, no quotes this time... except for one of my own....
"Everyone needs something to be obssesive about." -me