Well, here it is: I've been re-writing this one chapter so many times, I finally got sick of it and have decided to inflict it on you. But the last chapter ended at such a cliff-hanger, you're going to read it anyway, right?
I do not own Lina, Zelgaddis, Gourry, Amelia, Rezo, or any other "Slayers" characters. To the best of my knowledge, they belong to Hajime Kanzaka.
Lina grabbed Amelia's arm, screamed, "Run!" and drew her sword just in time to block Zelgaddis's strike. "Zel! Wake up!" Zelgaddis battered her with blow after blow, and Lina was forced back. He knocked her sword out of her hand and kicked it across the cobblestones. Lina scrambled away from her attacker, pushing Amelia ahead of her.
Amelia stopped suddenly and ran to Zelgaddis. "Zel, it's me! It's Amelia!
"No! Amelia!" Lina yelled. She was too far away to stop Amelia, and she watched in horror as Zel raised his sword over the child's head. The sword descended and Lina closed her eyes.
CLANG! When Lina opened her eyes a second later, she was astonished to see that the winged woman had interposed herself between Zel and Amelia and was struggling to hold her ground. "Get into the temple," Tira snapped. "Go!
Amelia protested, "What about Gourry?
"Kisama!" Tira cursed, but the plant retreated enough for Gourry to free himself. "Now go!" The three ran for the temple entrance, but Gourry paused.
"She can't handle Zel alone," Gourry warned Lina. "He'll kill her.
Lina shrugged. "She told us to get out of her way.
The plant that had captured Gourry now reached out for Zel. Tira leapt into the air to get out of range of both the stone chimera and the choke vine.
"Very foolish, daughter," called Jedere.
Tira landed in front of him. "Have you forgotten, my lord? I am the only one of your creations that can enter the Mother Goddess's temple.
Jedere grinned. "This new puppet also possesses a human soul. You have become dispensable." He touched her and murmured, "Mono Bolt." Tira's scream was lost in the crackle of electricity passing through her body. She slumped bonelessly to the ground as her master turned his attention to incinerating the choke vine. Zel rose from the charred remains and looked to the Puppetmaster for orders. "Bring me the Pendant, boy, and kill any who would stand against you!
There was a cough, and Tira croaked, "Master, stop. Free him. I will bring you the Pendant.
"You are too late, child. You have been replaced." The Puppetmaster watched Zelgaddis walk through the gate and approach his friends.
Gourry shook his head mournfully. "Sorry about this, Zel, but I can't let you pass." Zel attacked, and Gourry countered with the sword of light, careful not to hurt his friend. Although Gourry was the better fighter, Zel was forcing him back by attacking recklessly with all of his strength.
"Shadow snap!" Amelia called; it was one of the spells Zel had just taught her. Zelgaddis was frozen, his red eyes blazing with anger.
"Kuso," the Puppetmaster muttered.
"No matter how great his power," Tira said, "He cannot use magic while being directly controlled. He can't defeat his companions. I can.
"Very well," Jedere conceded, "bring me the Pendant, and I will release him.
Tira staggered to her feet and managed to leap into the air. "Shadow snap!" she called three times, freezing Lina, Gourry and Amelia.
"Ha," Amelia yelled, "I know how to break this spell!
"Amelia, don't!" Lina said, but too late: Amelia's light spell freed all of the companions, including the still-homocidal Zelgaddis.
Tira used a Flare Arrow to smash through the temple doors and flew inside the majestic building. The moonlit Temple was brilliant white with deep blue shadows. Suspended high above the altar was the Goddess's pendant: silver wrought in the shape of a fertility symbol. Tira carefully unhooked the chain and flew towards the door, but found it blocked by a stooped old man.
Tira recognized the man's robes as those of the high priest. She landed and approached. "Your holiness, let me pass.
"Eh? What are you holding in your hands, child? Did you take Maternessa's Pendant?
"Ojiisan, move aside. I do not wish to hurt you.
"Why would you steal the blessing of the Goddess from us?
"I have no choice.
The high priest looked at her with sharp eyes. "The Goddess always gives her children choices. Are you certain that you have made the right one, my child?" He stepped to the side and allowed her to leave.
Outside, Zelgaddis was still fighting his friends. He wouldn't stay still for another shadow snap, but Amelia refused to use more destructive spells against her mentor. Snarling, Zel continued his sword fight with Gourry, but it was a complete stalemate. Lina turned in time to see Tira take form within the shadowed doorway and cross the grounds to the gate.
"Wait!" Lina yelled. They faced each other in the moonlight, a short sorceress with fiery hair and a woman the size of a child with dark hair and enormous wings. "Why are you doing this?
Tira drew her sword and snarled, "You ask a marionette why it dances? Because someone is pulling its strings.
"Kuso, you talk about yourself as if you're a puppet. You have a will of your own. Perhaps your body was created, but if Maternessa allowed you inside her temple, you have a human soul." Tira took a step back, shocked. This sorceress actually believed that Tira could break free of her master.
"I can't . . .
"You have to! Once your master has the Pendant, you'll never be able to resist his power." Lina opened her arms to the stranger. "You can do it.
Tira fled, but the words echoed in her head. "I am my own master now." "I will not run before an enemy." "I am counting on you, daughter. Do not fail me again." "A puppet thought it could defeat the Puppetmaster?" "Become one with my will, and become mine." "Kill your companions, puppet." "You have become dispensable." "The Goddess always gives her children choices. Are you certain that you have made the right one, my child?" "You have a will of your own . . . you have a human soul.
Pressure built up inside Tira's chest and behind her eyes, born of fear and confusion.
Jedere was speaking, but his voice came from far away. "Give it to me, daughter." Tira watched in curiosity as her own hand raised the pendant.
Someone else was speaking now, a young woman with a confident voice: "I am my own master now.
The Puppetmaster was yelling, cursing, reaching to snatch away the pendant when light erupted from the necklace, throwing him back. Zelgaddis awakened abruptly from his trance and joined his friends in staring at the inexplicable light.
Jedere tried to peer past the brightness and saw a silhouette. "Tira?
From within the light, a woman's gentle voice responded, "Jedere, my beloved." He glimpsed curls of auburn hair, a pair of bright green eyes, the silhouette of a tall, middle-aged woman.
"Kentara," Jedere whispered, recognizing the ghost of his lover. "Once I have the Pendant, I will have the power to bring you back!
"You must set our child free.
"Kentara, wait! Don't leave me again.
He heard laughter like the chuckling of a stream and felt a breath of wind on his cheek. "I have never left you, beloved. It is you who became so obsessed with resurrecting my body that you stopped listening for me.
The man was on his knees, pleading, "It was for you, everything was for you. For us.
"You lie. I never wanted immortality; only you could have such greed." Weeping, the powerful Puppetmaster crumpled into a grief-stricken man.
Tira was blinded by the glowing pendant. She felt warmth wrapping around her like a mother's arms. "Mom? Or . . . are you Maternessa?
"Yes, child.
"I . . . I thought you were my mother, Kentara . . .
Tira felt laughter rumble through her. "Kentara is a part of me, daughter, just as you are.
"No! I have my own free will. I am not controlled by you!
She felt the laughter again. "A mother's love does not imprison, does not control . . . that is something your father forgot long ago." Tira felt the light infuse her core, and the fear roiling inside her quieted.
She clasped the pendant to her chest and opened her eyes. Her father had crumpled to the ground and was sobbing. Reluctantly, Tira knelt down beside him. "Father . . .
Jedere raised his tear-streaked face to look at his only child, and cringed. "What have I done? I only wanted to see you again, Kentara . . ." Jedere was shocked when Tira laid his head on her shoulder, but perhaps he was less surprised than Tira herself. She cradled him in her arms, rocking back and forth and stroking his graying hair. Then she left him, walking slowly through the temple gate.
"Zel, Lina, Gourry! Look," Amelia cried, pointing. "It's her.
Zelgaddis turned and saw the chimera leaning against the gatepost to catch her breath. She was exhausted and moved as if her body ached, but he thought he had never seen someone so beautiful in his life.
"He is gone. The Puppetmaster has been destroyed.
Lina asked, "How did . . ." but Zel shushed her. Tira took two steps, then collapsed. Zel lifted her to her feet and helped her walk the remaining steps to the temple. In the doorway stood the high priest.
"Ojiisama," Tira murmured. "Gomen nasai, I . . .
"Granddaughter," the old man greeted her, and accepted the pendant. "Follow me; we have beds for the sick. You are all welcome for as long as you wish to stay.
Zelgaddis tucked Tira in and knelt beside the cot, watching over her, until she fell asleep.
"Zel?" asked a quiet, worried voice.
"Amelia. You're safe," Zel said, and he smiled tiredly. Amelia gave him a goodnight hug, and Zel felt more human than he had in many years. He tucked her into the next cot over. "Go to sleep, kid. It's way past your bedtime.
Standing in the doorway, Gourry and Lina watched. And if Gourry put his arm around Lina, no one ever knew but the two of them.
I do not own Lina, Zelgaddis, Gourry, Amelia, Rezo, or any other "Slayers" characters. To the best of my knowledge, they belong to Hajime Kanzaka.
Lina grabbed Amelia's arm, screamed, "Run!" and drew her sword just in time to block Zelgaddis's strike. "Zel! Wake up!" Zelgaddis battered her with blow after blow, and Lina was forced back. He knocked her sword out of her hand and kicked it across the cobblestones. Lina scrambled away from her attacker, pushing Amelia ahead of her.
Amelia stopped suddenly and ran to Zelgaddis. "Zel, it's me! It's Amelia!
"No! Amelia!" Lina yelled. She was too far away to stop Amelia, and she watched in horror as Zel raised his sword over the child's head. The sword descended and Lina closed her eyes.
CLANG! When Lina opened her eyes a second later, she was astonished to see that the winged woman had interposed herself between Zel and Amelia and was struggling to hold her ground. "Get into the temple," Tira snapped. "Go!
Amelia protested, "What about Gourry?
"Kisama!" Tira cursed, but the plant retreated enough for Gourry to free himself. "Now go!" The three ran for the temple entrance, but Gourry paused.
"She can't handle Zel alone," Gourry warned Lina. "He'll kill her.
Lina shrugged. "She told us to get out of her way.
The plant that had captured Gourry now reached out for Zel. Tira leapt into the air to get out of range of both the stone chimera and the choke vine.
"Very foolish, daughter," called Jedere.
Tira landed in front of him. "Have you forgotten, my lord? I am the only one of your creations that can enter the Mother Goddess's temple.
Jedere grinned. "This new puppet also possesses a human soul. You have become dispensable." He touched her and murmured, "Mono Bolt." Tira's scream was lost in the crackle of electricity passing through her body. She slumped bonelessly to the ground as her master turned his attention to incinerating the choke vine. Zel rose from the charred remains and looked to the Puppetmaster for orders. "Bring me the Pendant, boy, and kill any who would stand against you!
There was a cough, and Tira croaked, "Master, stop. Free him. I will bring you the Pendant.
"You are too late, child. You have been replaced." The Puppetmaster watched Zelgaddis walk through the gate and approach his friends.
Gourry shook his head mournfully. "Sorry about this, Zel, but I can't let you pass." Zel attacked, and Gourry countered with the sword of light, careful not to hurt his friend. Although Gourry was the better fighter, Zel was forcing him back by attacking recklessly with all of his strength.
"Shadow snap!" Amelia called; it was one of the spells Zel had just taught her. Zelgaddis was frozen, his red eyes blazing with anger.
"Kuso," the Puppetmaster muttered.
"No matter how great his power," Tira said, "He cannot use magic while being directly controlled. He can't defeat his companions. I can.
"Very well," Jedere conceded, "bring me the Pendant, and I will release him.
Tira staggered to her feet and managed to leap into the air. "Shadow snap!" she called three times, freezing Lina, Gourry and Amelia.
"Ha," Amelia yelled, "I know how to break this spell!
"Amelia, don't!" Lina said, but too late: Amelia's light spell freed all of the companions, including the still-homocidal Zelgaddis.
Tira used a Flare Arrow to smash through the temple doors and flew inside the majestic building. The moonlit Temple was brilliant white with deep blue shadows. Suspended high above the altar was the Goddess's pendant: silver wrought in the shape of a fertility symbol. Tira carefully unhooked the chain and flew towards the door, but found it blocked by a stooped old man.
Tira recognized the man's robes as those of the high priest. She landed and approached. "Your holiness, let me pass.
"Eh? What are you holding in your hands, child? Did you take Maternessa's Pendant?
"Ojiisan, move aside. I do not wish to hurt you.
"Why would you steal the blessing of the Goddess from us?
"I have no choice.
The high priest looked at her with sharp eyes. "The Goddess always gives her children choices. Are you certain that you have made the right one, my child?" He stepped to the side and allowed her to leave.
Outside, Zelgaddis was still fighting his friends. He wouldn't stay still for another shadow snap, but Amelia refused to use more destructive spells against her mentor. Snarling, Zel continued his sword fight with Gourry, but it was a complete stalemate. Lina turned in time to see Tira take form within the shadowed doorway and cross the grounds to the gate.
"Wait!" Lina yelled. They faced each other in the moonlight, a short sorceress with fiery hair and a woman the size of a child with dark hair and enormous wings. "Why are you doing this?
Tira drew her sword and snarled, "You ask a marionette why it dances? Because someone is pulling its strings.
"Kuso, you talk about yourself as if you're a puppet. You have a will of your own. Perhaps your body was created, but if Maternessa allowed you inside her temple, you have a human soul." Tira took a step back, shocked. This sorceress actually believed that Tira could break free of her master.
"I can't . . .
"You have to! Once your master has the Pendant, you'll never be able to resist his power." Lina opened her arms to the stranger. "You can do it.
Tira fled, but the words echoed in her head. "I am my own master now." "I will not run before an enemy." "I am counting on you, daughter. Do not fail me again." "A puppet thought it could defeat the Puppetmaster?" "Become one with my will, and become mine." "Kill your companions, puppet." "You have become dispensable." "The Goddess always gives her children choices. Are you certain that you have made the right one, my child?" "You have a will of your own . . . you have a human soul.
Pressure built up inside Tira's chest and behind her eyes, born of fear and confusion.
Jedere was speaking, but his voice came from far away. "Give it to me, daughter." Tira watched in curiosity as her own hand raised the pendant.
Someone else was speaking now, a young woman with a confident voice: "I am my own master now.
The Puppetmaster was yelling, cursing, reaching to snatch away the pendant when light erupted from the necklace, throwing him back. Zelgaddis awakened abruptly from his trance and joined his friends in staring at the inexplicable light.
Jedere tried to peer past the brightness and saw a silhouette. "Tira?
From within the light, a woman's gentle voice responded, "Jedere, my beloved." He glimpsed curls of auburn hair, a pair of bright green eyes, the silhouette of a tall, middle-aged woman.
"Kentara," Jedere whispered, recognizing the ghost of his lover. "Once I have the Pendant, I will have the power to bring you back!
"You must set our child free.
"Kentara, wait! Don't leave me again.
He heard laughter like the chuckling of a stream and felt a breath of wind on his cheek. "I have never left you, beloved. It is you who became so obsessed with resurrecting my body that you stopped listening for me.
The man was on his knees, pleading, "It was for you, everything was for you. For us.
"You lie. I never wanted immortality; only you could have such greed." Weeping, the powerful Puppetmaster crumpled into a grief-stricken man.
Tira was blinded by the glowing pendant. She felt warmth wrapping around her like a mother's arms. "Mom? Or . . . are you Maternessa?
"Yes, child.
"I . . . I thought you were my mother, Kentara . . .
Tira felt laughter rumble through her. "Kentara is a part of me, daughter, just as you are.
"No! I have my own free will. I am not controlled by you!
She felt the laughter again. "A mother's love does not imprison, does not control . . . that is something your father forgot long ago." Tira felt the light infuse her core, and the fear roiling inside her quieted.
She clasped the pendant to her chest and opened her eyes. Her father had crumpled to the ground and was sobbing. Reluctantly, Tira knelt down beside him. "Father . . .
Jedere raised his tear-streaked face to look at his only child, and cringed. "What have I done? I only wanted to see you again, Kentara . . ." Jedere was shocked when Tira laid his head on her shoulder, but perhaps he was less surprised than Tira herself. She cradled him in her arms, rocking back and forth and stroking his graying hair. Then she left him, walking slowly through the temple gate.
"Zel, Lina, Gourry! Look," Amelia cried, pointing. "It's her.
Zelgaddis turned and saw the chimera leaning against the gatepost to catch her breath. She was exhausted and moved as if her body ached, but he thought he had never seen someone so beautiful in his life.
"He is gone. The Puppetmaster has been destroyed.
Lina asked, "How did . . ." but Zel shushed her. Tira took two steps, then collapsed. Zel lifted her to her feet and helped her walk the remaining steps to the temple. In the doorway stood the high priest.
"Ojiisama," Tira murmured. "Gomen nasai, I . . .
"Granddaughter," the old man greeted her, and accepted the pendant. "Follow me; we have beds for the sick. You are all welcome for as long as you wish to stay.
Zelgaddis tucked Tira in and knelt beside the cot, watching over her, until she fell asleep.
"Zel?" asked a quiet, worried voice.
"Amelia. You're safe," Zel said, and he smiled tiredly. Amelia gave him a goodnight hug, and Zel felt more human than he had in many years. He tucked her into the next cot over. "Go to sleep, kid. It's way past your bedtime.
Standing in the doorway, Gourry and Lina watched. And if Gourry put his arm around Lina, no one ever knew but the two of them.