I don't own Slayers
=Chapter IX=
Zel felt his hand ball into a fist. If she was here, than it wasn't good at all. She was the bearer of bad news, the person who had always brought chaos into the lives that she touched. She was the one who had long blond hair that fell over her almost innocent looking face. She was the one who carried a mace and could easily knock any person out. She was Filia Ul Copt.
"What are you doing here?" Zel asked as he re-sheathed his sword.
Filia glanced at the movement but made no move to walk closer to him. Instead, she crossed her arms and stared at Zel. Her unusual silence grated on Zel's nerves and his frown grew deeper.
Finally, she gave up a sigh and fell on her bottom. "You brought her here, didn't you."
Zel hesitated before her finally said, "Yes."
Filia sighed and threw her arms up in the air. "What is it with you men? Always doing something this stupid. She could gain her memory back in there, you know?"
Zel glared at her. "I don't care." He dimly realized that he meant it. "She's been living in the dark too long and you know it. She has to know what her true self is!"
"True self, true self. You mean DEAD self is she gets any further. I thought you, out of all people, would know what it's like to be played around with by Rezo!" Her words hung in the air and she knew she had gone too far in her rants, but Filia didn't feel like apologizing…not yet, anyway.
"If you're planning to steal the picture, you've come a long way for no reason." Filia changed the subject.
"What do you mean?"
"My men are guarding it with their lives! They don't need you people--" Zel knew that Filia was talking about Xelloss, "--taking it for your own selfish glee."
"That's not the reason we're taking it," Zel murmured almost to himself.
===
Lina reeled back in her hiding place, pressing her body closer against the wall as the anonymous person walked past her, seemingly stewing in her own anger to notice anything around her. Then, as if hit by a large heavy boulder, Lina realized what the other woman had said.
'This isn't it.'
If that painting wasn't the one that Rezo had done, then where was the real thing?
Lina crept out of the hallway and stared walked up to the painting. On the front was a picture of a mother and child. Her hand touched it, just as the other woman's had, and she felt as if something was melting away and into her flesh. She looked at the picture closely and realized that the painting itself had changed to two people, one facing the light and the other, facing darkness. Whatever had happened, Lina knew that she needed to take it.
She removed her hand and looked for her pouch. If this was like any old noble's home, there would be tons of magically enhanced protections on it. Lina reached into her pocket and pulled out a few gems, including the one she had stolen the first night she met Zel on the street.
Pushing through the gems, she found a small white one that could easily crush under her hands. She pocketed the rest of the jewels and smashed the white one until it became a fine powder. She blew it onto the area around the painting and saw several faint hues around it. Like she had thought, there was very many spells protecting it.
Standing back, Lina looked around, making sure that no one was around. She concentrated hard on the item and sang the word, "Divide." Suddenly, the hues grew bright and then vanished.
"Impressive. Someone with no magic performing magic itself."
Lina spun around and came face to face with the woman with purple hair. Lina glared at her as the other woman began to walk around her. Her steps were light and lazy, as if she were taunting Lina. Finally, she stopped a few paces from her face. "You've changed a lot."
"What?"
Before Lina could ask anything more, the other girl attacked, throwing several blades at Lina. Lina reacted, jumping out of the way and unsheathing her own. She moved into a defense position, staring at the other girl.
Lina's head ached as she tried to figure out who she was. She seemed so familiar…like… "Luna?"
Lina's hands dropped as several emotions filled her. Luna took that to her advantage, rammed her hand in Lina's stomach, and whispered, "Solidify." Pale purple light escaped from Luna's fingers and filled Lina. It wrapped around her body, like threads, and held her tight in the position she was in. Luna bent lower and whispered in Lina's ear, "I'll see you again, Little sister."
=End Chapter=