Last Tide

Nayru: It's kinda late at night, but I'm putting a brief blurb in anyway. This chapter is not the end of my story, despite the title. The tales of the four children will continue soon in a new story, and I think you all are going to love it.

Disclaimer: Slayers is not mine. Rei, Alin, Kinsei, and Elijah are mine. Itai, Atsui, Kara, and Kai are mine. You may ask to borrow them. Yes, SessyRyo, Kinsei is indeed extremely cute.

Chapter 3: The End

It was December 25th. Rei Lyssa Inverse-Gabriev was 4 days old. The group of families were having a quiet Christmas celebration. The enormous tree in the parlor glittered so many different colors, all reflected in the children's eyes. Presents lay at the bottom, including a few for the unexpected guest. Snow was falling over the city. In the parlor, on this midnight hour, every single one of Amelia's friends were gathered. Gourry had carried the bedridden Lina up to join them, and Xelloss hadn't joined them, but had been extremely jumpy and nervous anyway. If anyone made a loud sound when he was around, he'd make for the door. Amelia doused the fire, as the children played with their new gifts. Filia gently ushered Kinsei out. "Kinsei, time for bed..." Amelia smiled at everyone.
"It's getting rather warm in here, isn't it?" She turned to look out the window. The horror filled her: the sky was tinged flame red. "Everyone, let's get out of here..." The fire bells went off everywhere. "Split off, we'll meet outside!" She grabbed Alin. "Goodbye for now!" She dashed out one door to get her father. Martina and Zangulus grabbed Elijah.
"See you outside!" They ran, carrying her. Filia dashed down the hall, carrying a half asleep Kinsei. Gourry carefully picked Lina up, and she held Rei.
"Let's go..."
The castle was burning much faster than Martina really expected. She heard a loud thump next to her, and turned aside fast enough to see a figure entirely in black stab Zangulus in the side. She screamed, "ZANGY!" It was too late to save him. He was dead. She continued to run, tears streaming down her cheeks. She shouted as another figure in black leapt in front of her. Just then, Xelloss was beside her.
"Martina, give me Elijah, I'll get her out!" Martina passed her daughter to Xelloss. Elijah waved sleepily, as Xelloss teleported away. Martina barely had time to turn around and scream as the second murderer shot a single arrow directly through her temples. She didn't have time to suffer.
Filia met Xelloss in the main hall. "Filia, I'm sorry I couldn't warn you." Filia shoved the sleeping Kinsei into Xelloss' arms.
"Take her, get her out! I'm going back for Amelia, Gourry, and Lina!"
"Turn into your Ryuzoku form, then you can release some of the smoke with a hole in the ceiling." Xelloss kissed Filia quickly, and just before he vanished, heard Filia's terrified scream. He whirled around to see Filia caged. His purple eyes opened and widened. "FILIA!"
"JUST GET OUT OF HERE, XELLOSS!" She screamed, as they sent the cage to a different dimension. Mission bound, Xelloss continued running.
Amelia was both lucky and unlucky. Lucky because the open doors were in sight. Unlucky because her father was already dead, and her body was too weak to make the last hundred yards. She dropped to her knees. "Alin, for justice's sake, go outside and find somebody else... mommy can't come with you..." She set her son down.
"Uh-uh, mama, stayin' with you."
"ALIN!" Amelia wailed. Xelloss materialized and grabbed Alin. "Xelloss, forget me, just save my baby!"
"Miss Amelia... I will." He picked up Alin, who started to cry. "I'm sorry..." Just then, a small figure in black robes appeared.
"Well, well, so close yet so far. Ready to die?" Kara laughed evilly.

"Go on, injust mistress of evil!" Amelia stood shaking, for a final battle she would never fight.
"There is no win for you!" Kara threw a huge fireball at Amelia, trapping her. She threw a single blade at Amelia's neck. Amelia didn't even have time to scream before death took her. Alin began to cry louder as Kara ran for an escape.
Gourry had dreamt it coming. He already knew the outcome. Still, he ran as fast as he could for an exit. The fires swallowed everything. He reached the final archway, he thought briefly he could make it. He saw Xelloss, carrying Kinsei, Alin, and Elijah. His heart sank like a stone as he realized his friends were dead. "XELLOSS!" Lina yelled, seeing him.
"LINA, GOURRY, COME ON! THERE'S NOT MUCH TIME, THE ARCHWAY'S ABOUT TO- " The archway fell before them. They were trapped. No amount of magic would get them out of this. Desperate, Xelloss thrust his hands over the wall. "Give me your daughter... Just give her to me so she can live!" Nervous, Lina lifted Rei up.
"Take care of her, Xelloss." Lina whispered. "Goodbye, Rei..."
"Goodbye, Rei..." Gourry gasped, frightened.
"This isn't our lives! I'm going to find some way to correct all of this! See you in a new future!" Xelloss vanished.
"I guess we just wait for death, Gourry." Lina murmured.
"I love you, Lina." Just then, a single arrow pierced Gourry's neck. Gourry smiled weakly, and let death come, still smiling. Lina whimpered.
"No, Gourry..." A dark figure materialized in the corner. He was barely three feet tall.
"Lina Inverse... My name is Lord Kai. I have come to save your life."

"My ass. You started this fire, didn't you?"
"Yes, but only to get to you." He held a hand out. "Come now, I'll make you famous. If you only let me drink your blood, then I-"
"And let you have my power? No way."
"You have no choice, Lina Inverse."
"Yeah, yeah I do." Lina dragged herself into a huge flame. "I can die. I'm not giving away my body for a life without my soul." She laughed weakly as the flames caught her. "You have taken from me my husband, my friends, and my daughter. I'll be damned if you're taking my life too."
"You FOOL! DON'T YOU WANT TO LIVE?!"
"No. I want to be in the next life with my friends."
"YOU FOOL! YOU'RE A FOOL, LINA INVERSE!" Lina ignored him, and simply laughed as flames consumed her.

Six hours later, Xelloss stood on the barren wasteland that used to be Sailune. Nothing was left to be burned. Syphiel stood near him. "Everything I loved just vanished, except you, Kinsei." He patted his still asleep daughter on the head. The four children were in a huge box. Xelloss quietly tossed a vial of fluid to Syphiel. "You asked me to help you with that. I think that's what you're seeking." He picked up the box. "These four... not even my Kinsei... it's not safe for them any more. I need to take them far away, to that big blue planet they call Earth. You... go inform Luna Inverse and Nagha of these unfortunate deaths. I suppose a memorial shall be put up for these dead." He picked up the box. "Someday, they're going to return... but not to this time. I'm going to stop the cycle before it starts." Slowly, he began to fly away, for the big blue planet. Syphiel waved tearily, and walked away to find inhabited land and give the bad news.

For about three weeks, nobody but those who built a memorial to Sailune travelled a lonely path to what used to be the city. After three weeks, a man on a white horse did. His hair was somewhat messy, and he looked like he'd been travelling for a long time. His skin was a light peach, but with small red scars here and there. A bottle of sparkling water hung around his neck. Zelgadis had returned. He stared at the empty field that was once the city. Nervous, he tied the horse to a pole and began to run for the center of the field. Graves were set in a pentagram shape, each with a name on it. He finally reached the center, where graves lined up in a circle. He read the names out loud, shivering after each one. "Philionel... Zangulus... Martina... Filia... Gourry... Lina... no... no... that can't be right..." The last name was Amelia's. He began to shake violently. He noticed a single pillar with an inscription on it. "Survivors...? Xelloss... bastard... Elijah, Kinsei, Alin... I'll have to go find him... But who is this REI?" His eyes burned at the unfamiliar name. He snapped. "Rei... Lyssa... kill... she caused the deaths... kill... revenge... prevent existance... yes... kill... Lina's daughter... devil child... kill... kill... never... never..." Desolate, Zelgadis sank to his knees and threw his hands to the sky. "AMELIA, IF YOU CAN HEAR ME, I'M GOING TO AVENGE YOU! I CAN'T LET YOU GO BECAUSE OF THIS FOOL CHILD'S HATRED POWER! I CAN'T LET YOU GO BECAUSE OF THAT! NO! NO! NOOOOOOO!"

Epilogue

The year is 1991 in Earth years. It's early morning at an orphanage in a typical Japanese city. A very small three year old with bright red hair and big blue eyes cries. "Nuh, nuh, that's mine!" A bigger girl, almost six, with black to green hair and green eyes, tugs her teddy bear from her hands.
"Mine now, stupid." The smaller girl wails.
"'Lijah, she's just a baby." A 5 year old girl with light red/gold/purple hair and purple eyes protests her friend's actions.
"Let her have it back." A 4 year old boy with light blue skin, wiry blue hair, and blue eyes pouted.
"Whatever."
"She's a new kid. We were new kids once too, remember?" The boy smiled.
"... Yeah. She is a new kid... perfect to corrupt." Elijah gave the little girl's teddy bear back. "We're the Rebels of Socie-funny words. I'm Elijah. She's Kinsei. He's-" She paused to smirk. "-Al Lionel."
"No, no! One word! Alionel! But everyone calls me Alin."
"What's your name, little kid?"
"I'm Rei!" Rei chirped energetically, jumping up and down.
"Wanna be our friend?" Elijah smiled.
"YEAH!"
"Then say the promise like you mean it: I solemnly swear I am not going to follow the crowd."
"I solemmely swear I am not gonna follow the crowd." Rei chirped.
"Close enough. Let's play hide and go seek!" The four Rebels of Societistical Conformity were the best of friends for as long as they knew each other. They didn't know their fate.

To be continued...

Nayru: All I have to say is look for "Slayers: Warped" in the near future! I promise you, it's gonna be great!

Xiao: Really, it is!