Disclaimer: The Slayers aren't mine and neither is the computer I'm typing this on.

Lina was lying in a meadow with wildflowers all around her. Birds flew overhead chirping happily. A breeze was blowing causing the grass to rustle quietly. It was a thoroughly beautiful day.

Lina lay on her back with her hands behind her head. It was such a lovely day that it would be wasteful to do anything but enjoy it. She sighed enjoying the warmth of the sun on her face. "Ah! This is the life."

"I wouldn't say that Miss Inverse."

Lina's eyes shot open and she saw a large figure standing over her. He appeared to be an older man clad in crimson robes and carrying a staff. "Rezo?"

Rezo smiled at her and held out his hand. "Come with me please. We have much to talk about and precious little time in which to do it."

Lina cautiously took Rezo's hand and allowed him to help her to her feet.

"What's she saying now?" Emily was sitting by the bed and holding Lina's hand.

Kira shook her head indicating that Emily should be quiet. She had her ear to Lina's mouth and was struggling to hear her whisper about what she was seeing.

"Well, isn't this interesting. I was looking for Inverse and I get a lovely bonus."

Emily and Kira turned to see Vance leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed.

"Vance!" Emily stood and drew her sword.

"Oh that's sweet. You remembered my name." Vance smiled as he gazed at Emily. "You're shaking. Is it fear or anticipation?" He drew both of his swords and beckoned to her. "Come to me. I'll give you another lesson before I kill your mother."

Kira looked at Emily and Vance nervously. "Uh, excuse me? Could you fight outside please? I'm trying to work here."

Vance dropped his guard. "I don't see why not." He opened the front door and bowed to Emily. "Ladies first, of course."

Emily didn't budge. She was trembling slightly as she glared at Vance.

Vance sheathed his swords. "How about this? I swear on my honor, I will not touch you until we are both outside and ready. Furthermore, if you defeat me I will spare your mother. Deal?" He winked at her.

Emily nodded and walked towards the door. She was only a couple of feet from Vance. If she was quick enough, she could kill him before he had a chance to defend himself. She shook her head. How could she have considered that? Was she that afraid of him?

Vance stared at her as she walked out the door. He had half expected her to attack him where he stood. He was impressed that she hadn't. After her previous loss she still had the courage to face him on equal ground. Commendable. He looked at Kira and smiled. "I'll be back for her shortly." He left the house and shut the door behind him.

"Why can you see me? Everyone else here has always ignored me." Lina was walking next to Rezo through the endless field.

"It's because of my unique nature. I've been touched by powers that mortals normally have no contact with."

"You're talking about your connection with Shabranigdo right?"

Rezo nodded.

"So why are you helping me?"

Rezo looked over at her. His eyes were open. "You helped me save myself all those years ago. It's only right that I help you now."

Lina nodded. "Thank you."

"My help will do little to comfort you. I'm here to tell you that everything that you suspect about your dreams is true."

Emily raised her sword. "So how did you survive your little mishap last night?"

Vance tapped one of the talismans on his chest. "Magic dampener. Your mother's fireball barely singed me. As for the furniture. . ." He grimaced. "Yeah. That part really hurt."

Emily whispered, "Magic dampener. Like dad's sword huh?" She glanced down at her father's sword recalling his lesson.

"We don't attack our enemy's strength. We attack his weakness."

"His weaknesses?" Emily smiled. "Right! I'm ready now." She assumed a defensive stance and awaited Vance's attack.

Vance drew his swords. "Finally ready to fight huh? I went easy on you last time. But you knew that right?"

Emily stared at him with her sword pointed at his heart.

"I'll make it quick this time kitten." Vance twirled his swords over his head and charged Emily.

Lina sighed and sat down feeling sick to her stomach. "There's nothing that can be done then?" She looked up at Rezo with an imploring expression on her face. "Nothing at all?"

Rezo shook his head. "I'm sorry. I know that I've done little to assist you. Just take what comfort you can in knowing that you will be reunited with your love soon."

Lina whispered, "Gourry". She shook her head and stood up angrily. "I refuse to believe it!"

Rezo smiled. "I knew that you wouldn't give up until the bitter end. It's an admirable trait. Miss Lina, would you do something for me?"

Lina nodded.

Rezo closed his eyes and sighed. "Would you tell my grandson that I'm sorry?"

"I'm sorry Rezo. I don't think that he'll ever forgive you."

Rezo frowned. "I have no right to ask for forgiveness. All I ask is that you convey my apology to him. I know now what I truly did to him." He looked at Lina. "You understand it too don't you?"

Lina nodded. "Yeah. He'll be alone for all time."

A single tear ran down Rezo's cheek. "A fate I would not have wished on my most hated foe. Farewell, Miss Lina. I suspect we'll meet again soon." He began to walk away.

Lina called after him. "Hey! Where are you going?"

Rezo turned to look at Lina. "My time with you is done. You know the truth. I hope that is enough." He looked up at the sun. "She's calling you again." He looked back at Lina. "Will you run?"

Lina shook her head. "I'm done running."

Rezo nodded, satisfied by her answer. He turned and began to walk. A moment later he was swallowed by the golden light.

Lina didn't cower. Instead she stood tall and called out to the presence that had haunted her for so long. "I won't hide from you any more!" Then she was engulfed by the light.

Emily and Vance's blades clashed over and over. A moment's hesitation would mean a painful death. Neither warrior was holding anything back as they struck at each other mercilessly.

Vance was grinning as he fought. He ducked a particularly quick swing of Emily's blade. "You've gotten better haven't you? You're actually making me work for my victory this time. I guess my kitten has grown some fangs."

Emily saw Vance's lips moving but his words were falling on deaf ears. She had gone from attacking him with her sword to becoming her sword. Nothing he could say would get through to her now.

Vance was starting to sweat. "After I beat you I think that I'll kill your mother slowly. How does that sound?" His threats were met by Emily's cold gaze and even colder steel. He gritted his teeth. "I'll impale her on a stake and then we'll watch her die together. Won't that be nice?"

Emily noticed a change in Vance as they fought. His confidence was breaking under the pressure of her assault. He was sweating, but her sword felt as light as a feather in her hand. She was beating him.

Vance blinked the sweat out of his eyes. He was shouting at Emily. "I'm not finished! After I kill your mother, you will be mine to do with as I please! I'll take you while your mother is still clinging to life!"

Emily didn't respond.

"Damn you! Get angry at me! Hate me!" Vance's breaths were coming in short gasps. Screaming at Emily wasn't helping him get his wind back. "Hate. . .me!" He was slowing down, barely able to deflect her strikes. He screamed in frustration. "Listen to me!"

Emily was pushing Vance back. He was doing just as she had predicted. The man loved to taunt his opponents. She wasn't responding and the pressure was getting to him. He'd probably try to use his speed enhancement spell pretty soon. That was what she was waiting for.

Lina sat up in the bed and looked at Kira. "You heard my dream. You know what I am?" She sounded eerily calm as she spoke.

Kira nodded at Lina with a frightened expression on her face.

Lina glanced around the room. "Where's Emily?"

"Outside. She's fighting a man."

Lina's eyes widened. She whispered, "What was his name?"

"Vance."

Vance collapsed to one knee. He barely had the strength left to deflect Emily's blows. He saw movement out of the corner of his eye and smiled.

Lina ran out of the house and saw Emily locked in a life or death struggle against Vance. As she watched, Vance buckled under Emily's assault. He noticed her standing there and smiled. "No!"

Vance called out to Lina. "You're a dead woman Inverse!" He saw Emily glance in Lina's direction. Perfect. He threw himself at her with all his remaining strength. Although he only managed to stagger her, it bought him a moment. A moment was all he needed to cast his spell.

When Emily recovered her balance, she was immediately assaulted by a barrage of attacks from Vance. He had become a whirlwind of steel and death.

Vance smiled. With his speed enhanced, Emily looked a lot slower now. However, as tired as he was, she was still able to match him blow for blow. She no longer had a clear advantage though. Then why was she smiling at him?

Lina cursed herself for distracting Emily. As she watched the battle, Emily's loss in the forest kept running through her mind. The battle was playing out exactly as it had the previous time. "Emily, don't!"

Time seemed to slow as Emily slashed at Vance's stomach. He stepped back, just as he had last time. She muttered the words to activate her sword's power. Vance slowed down as he stepped in to strike.

Vance couldn't believe it. Emily was obviously an idiot. She had made the same mistake as last time. He dodged her strike and stepped towards her with sword raised. He heard her speak and saw her sword glow. His eyes widened as she seemed to double her speed. "No. . ."

Emily quickly spun and brought her sword around at shoulder level. She swung horizontally removing Vance's left arm at the elbow and, an instant later, his head from his shoulders. She paused for a moment and watched his lifeless body tumble to the ground. Then the moment was gone and she was no longer one with the sword. She was just Emily and she had beaten Vance.

Lina reached Emily just in time to catch her as she collapsed. She lowered her daughter to the ground and held her. She spoke, her voice full of awe. "Emily, that was amazing."

Emily struggled to catch her breath as she stared at Vance's corpse. "Yeah. . .I guess. . .it was. . .wasn't it?" She looked up at her mother and smiled.

"How did you do that?"

Emily was breathing a little easier now. "Dad told me how to beat him."

Lina looked at her confused. "Your dad?"

"I remembered his lesson. Attack the weaknesses. Vance made me lose my temper last time and beat me. This time I ignored him. That was one. Then he made the mistake of relying on his speed enhancing talisman. I canceled that out with dad's sword and. . ." Emily gestured to Vance's body.

"And he lost his head huh?" Lina laughed. "Well you certainly make it sound easy."

Emily sighed. "I think that was the hardest thing I've ever done in my life. What about you mom? Did you find out what's wrong with you?"

Lina glanced at Kira who still looked shaken by what she had heard. "Yeah. I know what it is now. I've known for a long time."

"Now we just have to do something about it right?"

Lina helped Emily to her feet and smiled. "Right. We've got work to do."

"Where are we going?"

"Sairaag."

They stood together watching the sun sink below the horizon.

Next Chapter: Betrayal in Seyruun.

Notes: I liked the action in this chapter, but I'm not sure if I should have killed Vance off. He was Emily's personal hurdle and the story is going to be more Lina centric from now on so I wanted to get that out of the way. I just hope it came out okay.

I'm feeling a little drained right now. Between work, fixing up my new house, and a nasty case of writer's block, I think I might take a little sabbatical from this story. I really want to finish it, so don't think that this is the end. I just want to do it right, you know?

Hey, don't think that this means that I'm going to leave this for months or anything. I've done four chapters in one sitting and agonized over another chapter for days on end. So, whenever I get past this writer's block you can believe that I'll be ready to go.

So much for keeping the notes short, huh? Thanks for reading!