Lina's Nocturne

Chapter: 6

The Master of the House

This has been surprising...when I first began this I really liked working on it but no one seemed to care much about it...now I'm getting messages about this daily. To let you know, the reason there hasn't been much activity on most of my stuff is I'm in Kyoto, Japan right now with my college's study aboard program. So I haven't had that much time to do work on fanfics...but now that the program is nearing an end I can somewhat pick up the slack again...though there is probably going to be a dead moment for two weeks as I'm doing a rail tour of japan and internet is not guaranteed.

Hope you all enjoy.

A/n: jamais encore is french for never again

Lina sighed as she sat in the library of the mansion that was just off the main hallway. She had been in a foul mood after her fight with Zelgadis and now she was also worried about what that man would do. 'Zelgadis is going to blame me for it and it'll be another fight...I don't want to kill the big jerk just maim him slightly,' Lina thought.

She had found some art pads in the library and gone back to the thing that relaxed her the most. She was ideally drawing as she thought about how she was going to deal with whatever came with the next time her and Zelgadis met. After a few moments she looked down and almost gagged. While her mind was else where her hand had been drawing Zelgadis. Though the picture lacked color anyone could tell that the figure was Zelgadis and that his normal attire was missing. Instead he was dressed in a tux with the same rose in his right hand and a walking cane in the left. Lina looked at the picture for a moment before thinking, 'What is up with me? I can draw other things and yet I absent mindedly drew him.'

Lina looked up as she pondered over her odd obsession when it came to drawing Zelgadis. She had to admit that he was very attractive looking but his demeanor always seemed to overshadow that fact. She turned her head to look out the window and noticed that it was getting dark outside quickly. Lina stood from her chair and looked outside. It began to rain and lighting crashed from the sky. The wind began to howl as Lina said out loud, "This is a first. It hasn't stormed here since I've been here."

It was at that moment that the doors to the library flew open and there was Amelia huffing because she had run from the other side of the house. Amelia ran up to Lina and grabbed her arm. Lina looked at Amelia and saw that her face was pale and her eyes were wild with fear. Lina started to worry as Amelia looked up and said, "Come on Miss Lina...You've got to get to the music room."

Lina followed Amelia, judging by the sound of her voice it was serious, and walked to the music room. Once there Amelia ran over to a corner where a rope hanged from in the ceiling. Lina watched as Amelia jumped and pulled the rope down. A loud clank resonated through the mansion as a bell began to sound with the pulling of the rope. Within minutes of the first sound all the occupants of the house had run inside of the music room and slammed the door. Rodimus, Zolf, and Vrumugun grabbed chairs and pressed them against the door before standing ready to put their shoulders in to it if need be. Lina looked at everyone wide eyed and asked, "What in hell is going on here?"

"In hell indeed," came a silky voice from the far corner of the wall.

Everyone turned to be met with someone that Lina knew. It was the man she had released from the wall. He seemed the picture of health now and was smiling grandly at the gathered before pushing off the wall and walking forward. Lina looked at him and took in his visage well. He stood about the same height as Zelgadis with long purple hair that hung down to his shoulders. His clothes where a mix of cream and black that seemed out of place with Lina but more in tune with Vrumugun. His smile never left his face as he navigated towards them without opening his eyes. He stopped in front of Lina before saying, "I must thank you for setting me free...it was just terrible in that shack."

"You did what?!," Amelia yelled.

Lina turned, and looked at the maid as this was the first time Amelia had reacted in such a way, before explaining, "Well, what was I supposed to do when I find a man nailed to a way and bleeding?"

There came a loud crack of thunder and everyone in the room jumped other than the man and Lina. Lina cocked an eyebrow before asking, "What in the hell are all of you so scared of?"

"The master of the house of course," the man supplied.

Lina turned and looked at the man before saying, "Zelgadis," before smirking and saying, "I've taken care of him before."

"Not like this you haven't," the man replied before the door was slammed into by something that seemed to rock the foundation.

Lina's eyes got wide as she watched everyone but her brace the door in hopes of keeping it in between them and the force on the other side. Lina looked at the man before saying, "What is going on?"

"Ah, I see no one has told you," the man began as his smirk got bigger, "The master of the house and this mansion are keyed together. The environment reacts to the master's mood and emotions...right now I'd say he's quite pissed and that means the mansion's magical energies are being brought into him to give him more strength than usual."

Lina's eyes widen and she gulped at the implication that Zelgadis might be a raving berserker on the other side of the door. It was then that it hit her, 'Wait! Zelgadis isn't a loner or anti-social but he was keeping his emotions in check. It all makes sense now...if he keeps his emotions on a flat level then the weather is fine and he is normal...but this isn't good.'

Lina sighed. She knew what she had to do and began to walk towards the door. As she walked Lina announced, "Everyone away from the door and to the back of the room. I'm the one he's after so just let him come for me."

"But, Miss Lina," Amelia was about to protest but Lina silenced her with a glare.

The group did as told and ran to the back of the room. As soon as Lina got in front of the door it flew open, throwing chairs in random direction, and in stepped Zelgadis. Lina gasped as she looked upon the man. He had changed dramatically. His normal soft, blue hair had been replaced by what looked like silver wire. His white face was now deep blue and spotted with blotches that looked like stone. His sapphire eyes were slits like that of a snake and his mouth had small fangs coming from where his canines should have been. He stopped as his eyes caught a hold of Lina and the sapphire pools turned red as he said, "Inverse!"

Lina could feel her hands shaking but at the same time did her best to stand strong. She moved forward before saying lowly, "Zelgadis...I'm sorry. I was wrong. I thought you were being a jerk but I guess I was being a bit pig headed myself. I had no idea the struggle you must go through everyday..."

Lina was cut off as she was raised off the ground. Zelgadis stood with Lina's neck in his right hand as he lifted her off the floor. He smiled evilly as he watched her struggle before saying, "You will pay for your transgressions."

As, Lina struggled to keep from being chocked, the unknown man walked over to Zelgadis and whispered, "That's it Zel-kun. Crush her little neck and spill her blood on the ground of the mansion. Go ahead, she's caused you enough trouble already. What's one life when it comes to bringing peace back to the estate?"

Zel smirked for a moment as his pressure increased. He heard Lina struggle for air. As he was about to squeeze even more he heard a sound come from Lina. He stopped as he saw tears roll down her cheeks and the word, "Mom," was barely uttered off her purple lips.

Zelgadis dropped Lina as he moved back and grabbed his head. He screamed as his voice changed from deep back to his normal tenor to the deep bass again. Lina sat up slowly as she breathed in the air. She watched in horror as Zelgadis screamed from something that had caused him to back away. She watched as he slammed his head against the wall of the room before she heard in his light tenor, "jamais encore."

He looked up as a small line of blood began to run down his brow from where he cracked it against the wall. His normal appearance was back. The soft violet hair, the round sapphire eyes, and the pale white skin greeted all that where in from of him. He looked at the man that had been egging him on and said, "I will never become what I once was. Not for anyone...and especially not for you Xellos."

The man, now known as Xellos, looked at Zelgadis before his eyes opened. Lina gasped as the purple slits looked at Zelgadis before he said, "Don't worry Zel-kun. One day you will be mine and this mansion will also belong to me as well. You can't hide from your past Zelgadis...and you can't stop what is inside you. You were supposed to be mine...you were supposed to have died on the battle field that day, but the former owner decided to show you mercy didn't he?"

"I don't know if I would call it mercy, but it did infuriate you," Zelgadis replied before saying, "Be gone from my home demon," and thrusting forth his hand.

Xellos hissed as his form seemed to come apart before stabilizing again. He wrapped his cloak around him before saying, "This isn't over," and disappearing in a gulf of fire.

Zelgadis sighed and walked forward to kneel in front of Lina. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," Lina replied, "You have quite a grip when you get angry."

Zelgadis was about to reply when his eyes went wide and he gasped. He feel to the floor before passing out into a dark oblivion. Lina sprang to her knees and pulled Zelgadis to her. His shook him slightly before saying, "Zelgadis are you okay?"

Before Lina even ask for help Amelia was right there on the other side of Zelgadis. The two picked an arm and lifted Zelgadis onto their shoulders. They began to carry him back to his bedroom while Lina smirked and thought, 'Looks like I'll be the one watching over you this time.'

Disclaimer: Any characters or ideas from The Slayers do not belong to me. I am not selling this material, just writing for the heck of it as I go.

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