Disclaimer and Author's Note: Well, as I promised, here's the next chapter of the ficcie! I don't own Slayers, that would be lots of people in professional companies and stuff. I've been getting lots of comments and stuff, and I'd like to thank everyone who reviewed this for me, and in response to one of them.... I have no clue how Amelia's going to use a powerful dark magic spell when her primary skill is white magic. If she was about to be able to use the Dragon Slave, then that means she's at least capable of using black magic, even if she doesn't specialize in it. Even Sylphiel used a Dragon Slave, and she specializes in white magic, too. So, I guess it doesn't really matter what you specialize in, but you can use some of everything still? I dunno.... Anyway, thanks for reviewing, thanks for reading, and I'm shutting up now.
SPOILER WARNING: LOTS OF THIS STUFF ACTUALLY DOES HAPPEN IN THE SERIES, OR IS VERY CLOSE TO WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENS. IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE LAST SIX OR SEVEN EPISODES OF NEXT, YOU MIGHT NOT WANT TO READ THIS AND SPOIL EVERYTHING.
...§...§...
Finally, Lina's eyes opened! Zelgadis kept the Recovery spell up for just a moment longer to make sure she was okay, and stopped it when she sat bolt upright, her fist clenched tightly. "Where is Saygram? Lemme at him!" she shouted, standing up.
Gourry looked over his shoulder at the sound of Lina's voice. "Lina!" he called. She was okay! Thank goodness for Zelgadis, or else-- Gourry wouldn't let those thoughts continue.
"Gourry, look out!" Zelgadis called. Gourry had allowed himself to be distracted by Lina, and the red sphere took advantage of that. A red bolt of light shot out of the sphere, right at Gourry. Lina and Zelgadis ran over to him just in time for both of them to throw up shields.
"What the heck are these things?" Lina demanded, watching the balls as they circled their group slowly.
Zelgadis gritted his teeth, and glared at the spheres. "Mazoku, sent by Saygram," he told her.
"Mazoku?? These things?" she asked, pointing at one of the spheres. "Come on, how much trouble can these stupid things be??"
"Quite a lot, actually," Gourry said.
Lina stomped her feet, and asked loudly, "Have you tried hitting them both at the same time??"
"It's not that easy!" Zelgadis retorted. "Although," he admitted. "you may have a point...." He drew his sword, and shouted, "Astral Vine!" The blade began to glow red with the enchantment.
"Oh three, Zel?" Gourry asked, grinning. Zelgadis nodded, and each faced the sphere they were going after. "One..." Gourry started.
"Two..." Zelgadis continued, taking a half-step forward.
"THREE!" they both shouted as they jumped into their air, descending on the spheres. Their swords made contact at the exact same moment. The spheres split and cracked, bright light shooting out of them, before they exploded. When the smoke cleared away, Lina waved a flag, shouting and whistling. "Way to go! The unstoppable duo!" She slapped Gourry on the back painfully, and said, "Great job, guys!"
"Owowow!!" Gourry cried when Lina slapped his back.
"Aw, come on, Gourry, that doesn't hurt you," Lina told him, giving his back another whack.
"Owww!!"
Zelgadis sheathed his sword, and looked around. Martina and the little boy were safely cowering behind a bunch of rocks. And... Amelia was coming out of the rock wall with Milgasia! "Amelia!" he called to her.
Amelia looked up over at them, and for a moment her eyes looked strangely clouded. But it was for such a short moment, and she smiled so brightly as she ran over to them, that Zelgadis figured he'd imagined it.
"Amelia!" Lina shouted. "So, come on, tell me, what'd the Claire Bible say? How do I defeat any mazoku?"
Amelia took a deep breath, ready to tell Lina almost everything, but a spell came hurtling towards them, and they all threw up shields to block it. After the smoke cleared enough, they saw who had cast the spell.
"Saygram!!" Lina growled. "How dare you attack me like that?? It's unfair! Unjust!" She pointed at Saygram accusingly.
Amelia gave Lina a sidelong glance. "You're stealing my act again," she informed her tonelessly.
Saygram just laughed, and floated slowly over to where they were standing. "I'm afraid Xellos won't be showing up any time soon. He's occupied in another dimension."
"That's not gonna stop be from making you pay for attacking me like that!" Lina shouted at Saygram. "You think you can just attack an innocent girl like that and get away with it?"
"Innocent girl?" Saygram asked with a derisive laugh. "Surely you don't mean yourself, Lina Inverse."
Lina gritted her teeth, and clenched her fists, glaring at Saygram. "All right, you asked for it," she said coldly. "Lord of Darkness of the four worlds, I call upon you! Grant me all the power that you posses!"
"What are you planning?" Saygram asked in a superior tone.
Lina started walking forward slowly, casting her spell. "Sword of the cold, dark void." She knew she couldn't control the spell very well, but the last time they fought Saygram, the amplified Dragon Slave hadn't worked. This was more powerful than the Dragon Slave, but she'd have to hope that Saygram stood still so she could cast it. "Free yourself from the heaven's bonds. Become one with my power, one with my body, and let us walk the path of destruction together."
"The Ragna Blade?" Zelgadis asked, watching Lina.
"But she can barely control it," Amelia said, worried.
Lina glared icily at Saygram. "Power that can smash even the souls of the Gods!" The black blade surrounded by crackling lightning appeared between her hands.
Saygram, who was about to back away, was stopped suddenly by something large and black jutting out of his chest. Xellos's voice asked, "You thought you could escape me, Saygram-san?"
"Im-- Impossible!" Saygram choked out.
Lina took advantage of Saygram being caught still, and charged at him. "Ragna Blade!" she shouted, finishing the spell. She brought the black blade down through the air, and through Saygram, splitting him almost in half along his waist. The spell died instantly, and Lina fell to her knees as she watched Saygram disappear, screaming in pain.
"I still can't control it," she said, gasping from the energy it had taken out of her. She looked up, and saw Xellos standing in front of her, smiling. "You butted in," she told him as she got to her feet.
"Oh, but you were doing very well, Lina-san," Xellos said to her, still grinning. "As I'd expect--" He broke off, and turned halfway around. Suddenly, something shot out of the air, and Xellos screamed as it ripped through him. The next moment, Gaav appeared, his sword over his shoulder, laughing at Xellos, who was screaming in pain on the ground by Gaav's feet.
Lina stared in open shock, only semiconscious of Martina screaming in the background. It was Gaav! He was alive! But, Auntie Aqua's attack, back in the desert--!!
"How do you like that, Xellos?" Gaav asked, grinning in superiority. "I used your own specialty against you. An attack from the Astral Plane."
Xellos managed to get to his knees. He held his hand over where his arm had once been, his face still smirking around the pain he felt. "I'm flattered... Gaav-sama," he said, his breath coming out in jagged gasps.
"And yet, even after that attack, you're still very much alive," Gaav said, almost impressed.
Xellos grimaced. "However, it will take some time for me to recover from this.... my dear Gaav-sama."
Gaav sheathed his greatsword, and reached down, grabbing Xellos by the collar, and holding him up at least two feet from the ground. "Tell me, Xellos," he said. "What are Hellmaster's plans?"
"Th-they're..." Xellos began.
"They're what?" Gaav demanded, shaking Xellos in his impatience. "What are they??"
Xellos glanced over at the little boy, who was clinging to Martina's arm. Somehow, Xellos found the strength in himself to hold up a finger, and grin at Gaav. "They're a secret," he said, before disappearing.
Lina stared. "No way! He left now, of all times? How immature can that guy get??"
Gaav stared at the hand that had been holding Xellos up, and then started to laugh openly. "Typical mazoku. Doesn't care what happens to others just so long as he can save his own skin."
Amelia, Zelgadis, and Gourry came running up behind Lina.
Gaav drew his sword again, and glared down at Lina. "I may not know what Hellmaster's plans are, but I know you're part of them. Which means if I'm to stop Hellmaster, I have to kill you!"
Lina was about to retort, but she broke off, coughing. She dropped to her knees, and stared at her hand when she saw blood on her white gloves. It's no good, she thought. It's because I used the Ragna Blade on Saygram. I don't have any strength left for Gaav.
Gourry stepped forward, sword drawn, and said boldly to Gaav, "You think I'm just going to stand here and let you do that?"
Amelia and Zelgadis came forward as well, standing half in front of Lina. "Me either," Amelia said. "Lina-san is our friend!"
"And unlike Xellos," Zelgadis said, holding his hands ready to cast a spell. "We're human."
Lina stared in awed amazement at her friend. "Gourry... Guys...." They were facing Gaav to help her?
However, Gaav just seemed to find it all very amusing. He laughed, a short, rough bark, and asked them, "You really are fools. You challenge me when you know you have no chance of winning!"
"Shut up," Zelgadis said coldly. "We're fighting for our lives here!"
Gaav laughed again. "For your lives, huh? Just like I'm fighting for my life against Hellmaster. We're not so different, you and I."
Zelgadis said quietly to Lina, "Lina, no matter how big we talk, we know we don't have a chance against this guy."
"You have to use that spell you used to defeat Saygram," Amelia told her.
Gourry smiled down at her. "We'll keep Gaav distracted long enough for you to recover your strength, Lina."
"Gourry..." She couldn't think of anything to say. She was touched that she had such loyal friends on her side.
Gourry brought his sword up in a defensive stance, ready to go.
"What an interesting sword you have there," Gaav admitted. "But even that won't help you here. Very well! Fight me, if you dare! For the sake of your own lives!" With that last shout, he jumped backwards into a large clearing, with Zelgadis, Gourry, and Amelia right after him.
"Rah Tilt!" Zelgadis and Amelia shouted in unison as soon as their feet touched the ground. The white pillar of light surrounded Gaav. But moments later, the light shattered like glass, and Gaav was revealed, standing unscathed.
He let out another bark of laughter. "It's useless. The Rah Tilt did cause me some pain, but I was able to defend against it," he told them.
Gourry leapt at him from behind, but Gaav just grabbed the blade of the Sword of Light. "Even a human wielding the sword Gorun Nova stands no chance against me!" he shouted as he threw Gourry into the side of the cliff. Gourry disappeared within a cascading avalanche of rock and dust.
"Gourry!" Lina cried out, trying to crawl over to him on her knees. She broke off, coughing. "I can't do anything," she said in frustration.
Zelgadis and Gourry both charged at Gaav, their swords drawn. Gaav just blasted them backwards with a wave of his hand, sending them crashing into a boulder. Gourry felt the taste of blood in his mouth, and even Zelgadis had blood running down the side of his face.
Then, to make things worse, Amelia had climbed up on a rock, and threw a Dynast Bras at Gaav. Gaav laughed, and brushed it aside. "What kind of pathetic spell was that?" he asked, turning to look at Amelia.
Amelia pointing down at him, glaring. "You're a villain, a menace to this world!" She posed dramatically. "You must repent your evil ways, or face the wrath of our justice!" She shot another pose. "Now is the time for retribution!" One more pose. "Prepare yourself!"
...§...§...
"Amelia, what are you doing....?" Lina asked herself. She broke off coughing again, and then heard footsteps behind her. She looked over her shoulder, and saw Milgasia kneeling beside her.
"I'll heal you now," Milgasia told her. He held up his hand, which started glowing with a bright white light. "I'm sorry for the delay."
Lina just smiled gratefully. "Milgasia-san... Thank you."
Gaav chuckled. "Are you finished yet?" he asked Amelia. "Now you listen to me! So long as Lina is knowingly helping Hellmaster's plans, which are the source of evil in this world, your good friend is a villain!"
Amelia stared, shocked. "Lina-san.... a.... villain....?"
"And as her companion," Gaav went on. "That must make you a villain as well!"
Amelia froze, her mind confused with all the complexities. "I'm.... a villain? No.... that..... can't be...." Her eyes filled with tears. "I can't be...."
...§...§...
"I think Amelia's in trouble," Gourry said, getting to his feet.
"Oh, great..." Zelgadis got to his feet as well, and headed towards Amelia.
...§...§...
"I hate people who foolishly preach justice," Gaav said, a spell swirling around him. "In the end, there is no good and evil. Just power, and those strong enough to use it."
Amelia regained her composure enough to start a spell, but was too late. By the time she started to say "Rah Tilt," Gaav had teleported to just behind her, his sword already swinging down. Amelia gasped, and looked over her shoulder. Before Gaav's sword could even touch her, Zelgadis jumped between them, grabbing Amelia in both arms. The sword cut into his back. Zelgadis screamed in pain, and the two of them were knocked off the tall rock.
Amelia grimaced, and opened her eyes. Zelgadis was unconscious beneath her, his arm still around her back. She sat up, her eyes filling with tears. "Zelgadis-san!" she shouted, shaking him a little. "Zelgadis-san! Hang on!" She lifted her hands slowly and stared at them in shock. They were covered in blood. Zelgadis's blood. He'd tried to help her. She quickly started to cast a Recovery spell to help him. "Please don't die, please don't die," she said quietly to herself over and over.
Gourry charged at Gaav in anger for attacking Zelgadis and Amelia, but he was knocked back easily, and fell to the ground with enough force to knock him unconscious.
"Don't you see?" Gaav asked loudly. Amelia sat staring up at him, her teeth chattering. "No matter how 'just' you consider yourselves to be, in the face of overwhelming power, you're defenseless."
Lina stood up, having enough strength to fight now, and started to walk slowly over to Gaav. As she walked past Gourry, she looked down at him, and then over at Zelgadis and Amelia. She then glared up at Gaav, and said, "I can't forgive you for this."
"You ready to fight back, Lina Inverse?" Gaav asked. He held his sword up in an attack stance, and shouted, "Go ahead and try!!"
Once again, Lina cast her talisman amplification spell. "Lord of Darkness of the four worlds, I call upon you! Grant me all the power that you posses!" Then, still walking forward slowly, she began her spell. "Sword of the cold, dark void. Free yourself from the heaven's bonds. Become one with my power, one with my body, and let us walk the path of destruction together. Power that can smash even the souls of the Gods! Ragna Blade!!"
As if Lina shouting that had been a cue, Gourry and Zelgadis both regained consciousness, and they and Amelia watched Lina as she glared at Gaav.
Even with the talismans, it's taking all my strength to control the blade, Lina thought. "All right, Gaav!! I'm betting everything.... on this one attack!" She began running forward, shouting. She leapt into the air, and yelled, "Blade of Darkness!!!" She brought the spell swinging through the air, and it struck Gaav's greatsword. She glared at him, forcing her spell down with all the strength she possessed. Gaav was also hard-pressed, trying to push Lina's spell back.
At last, the Ragna Blade cut through Gaav's own sword, and started to cut into Gaav's shoulder. Gaav cast aside the remains of his sword, and grabbed Lina's arms, trying to keep the blade from cutting any deeper into him. Lina just kept pushing down with more and more strength. Gaav's grip on her arms tightened, and she felt something crack beneath his hands. Lina screamed in pain, and brought the Ragna Blade down in a sweeping cut, splitting Gaav from his shoulder to the opposite hip. She was thrown backwards by Gaav, and right into the cliff face, falling to the ground in a pile of rocks. She watched as Gaav disappeared, yelling in pain.
For a long while, all Lina could do was stare at where Gaav had been, and try to breathe. Finally, everything seemed to register in her mind. "I... won?" she asked herself quietly. "I won!" She looked up at a sound from above her, and saw a solitary golden dragon take off into the sky. "Thank you.... Milgasia-san," she said quietly. She turned to face the other way, and saw Gourry, Zelgadis, and Amelia walking towards her. Gourry and Zelgadis were each supporting the other. "Gourry... Guys!" Lina said happily. They were all okay!
Amelia ran up, and hugged Lina tightly. "Lina-san!" she shouted.
Lina hugged her back. "Amelia... Thank goodness you're okay."
...§...§...
AUTHOR'S NOTE: See? Lina's dandy! I won't kill of any main characters, that's just mean, and completely against the way the Slayers people would think. Gotta try to think along the same lines as them. I hope I'm doing a good job of this so far. I'm really proud of the chant I thought of for the spell ^^ You don't get to see it until the end, though. Sorry.... Maybe I shouldn't even have brought it up.... Oh well! ^_____^ Thanks for reading and reviewing, and see y'all next week!
