Author's notes: I spent a long time staring at a blank page for this one… like a really long time. Writer's block will be the death of me I swear.

A Shout of Light

"Mr. Milgazia!" Amelia cried as she took in the horror in front of her.

Blood continued pooling around the elder dragon as he lay motionless face down on the ground. The monster above drove his staff into the elder's back, but Milgazia was already out. He couldn't feel the monster making a light attempt at finishing him off. This infuriated the princes who was about to fire off another Ra Tilt.

The monster was wearing an ice-white cape over an elegant blue uniform. The staff in his hands gave them warning that he was in fact a priest under one of the Dark Lords. He smiled a charming smile, but his sinister eyes were staring purposefully at Xellos

Filia was too shocked to move. Her hands trembled as she stared into the eyes of the one who so brutally took out Milgazia. He was looking her way, no, their way. Xellos was pulling away from her to face this new opponent, but she couldn't let him fight again already could she? He was still injured from the last battle, but if they didn't do something soon Milgazia would be dead.

"Ra Tilt!" Amelia shouted. She put all off her force into that spell, and it left her hands and flew right into the enemy monster. The priest took the hit, and stood floating in mid-air unimpressed. Before Amelia could try something else, a black shadow appeared and struck her from behind. The new spell in Amelia's hands dispersed, and she fell to the ground unconscious.

"Fireball!" Lina shouted. The large ball of flame shot forward at the priest. He easily dodged the spell and came to stand a short distance away.

"Amelia!" Gourry called loudly as he rushed to the princess' side. He had his hand on the hilt of his sword as he glared daggers at the one who had attacked his friends. "What did you do to her?"

The priest smiled and brought his staff in front of him, anticipating the battle. "I'll let you find the answer yourself." He shot forward and swung his staff at the swordsman's head. Gourry caught the attack with his sword and held the monster in place.

While the swordsman kept the priest distracted, Filia went to Milgazia's side. While Xellos kept watch, she summoned a resurrection spell to heal the elder. After a few moments, tears began flooding her eyes and she tried again, and again. It was no good.

Milgazia's eyes fluttered open and he managed to smile at the young golden dragon who was desperately trying to save him. He knew he was dying. It was getting harder and harder for him to fill his lungs with the sweet tasting air. "Save your strength…" he whispered before closing his eyes again.

There was nothing else she could do. Filia let her hand fall to her side, and she watched helplessly as the elder took his final breath. "Elder Milgazia…" she whispered softly. Filia had grown fond of him even though she hadn't known him long.

Xellos watched silently as Filia expressed her sorrow through her tears. She had gotten hurt, and once again he was to blame. How could he comfort her? It was his fault the priest appeared, it was his fault Lina and the others were involved, and it was his fault Milgazia was dead. With these thoughts plaguing his mind, Xellos cast a spell of his own and joined in the fray.

"Xellos...?" Filia questioned as she turned to where he had been standing only moments before. Her heart got caught in her throat when she saw him fighting the priest. She got up hugging Valgarv's egg close, and took a step forward. He shouldn't be fighting in the condition he was in.

"You shouldn't try to stop him," Lina told her. The sorceress was using a healing spell on Amelia. The princess didn't appear to have been too badly hurt, but Lina was making sure anyway. She smiled sadly at Milgazia's still form before turning back to Filia. "He's fighting for you."

"F-For me..?" Filia stammered. "But I'm a dragon. Why on earth would he fight for me?"

The healing spell vanished and Lina stood up. She dusted her hands off and turned to regard Filia. "It's because you've taken the place of his of lord."

The golden dragon stared at the sorceress dumbfounded. How could she have taken the place of the Greater Beast Master? It didn't make any sense to her.

Lina recognized through Filia's unconvinced expression that she hadn't gotten her point across. The sorceress sighed and decided that she really needed to find a more knowledgeable group of people to hang around with. It would sure beat having to travel with Mr. clueless and Miss innocent all of the time.

"You've become his purpose for existing Filia," Lina explained. "Before, his purpose was to serve his lord. When he was abandoned by her, he clung to you for a purpose. Without you he'd have no reason to live. Understand now?"

Filia nodded absently while Lina prepared a fire spell. It was startling how knowledgeable Lina could be at times.

"It looks like Gourry's gotten himself into some trouble again. Hey Gourry! Get up jellyfish brains!" The sorceress called as she aimed her magic at the priest. "Flare arrow!"

The swordsman was sitting with a shocked looks on his face. His sword had broken in half, and now he didn't have a weapon to fight with. Before Gourry knew what was happening, flames shot over his head and Lina was standing over him.

"Go protect Amelia and Filia ok?" the sorceress said to the baffled man.

"But Lina, I don't have a sword," he remarked holding up the broken piece of metal.

"I know!" Lina exclaimed waving him away. "Just go over there."

"Ah, I get it," Gourry said as he got up and started to leave the battle field. "I'm in your way right?"

"Good job Gourry, I can't believe you figured that out all by yourself," Lina stated.

She stood back to asses the situation. As much as Lina hated to admit it, she was weakening. The sorceress had already used two Ragna Blades, and using a third would probably destroy her or weaken her enough to turn her hair white again. At this rate, she was going to have grey hairs by the time she reached her thirties.

The priest was fast, and Xellos was only barley able to keep up as the fight dragged into the astral plane. When they reappeared, Xellos' body was beginning to break apart. He slid down to the ground and caught himself on his hands and knees.

"Finished already?" the priest asked sounding a little disappointed. He didn't notice the sorceress standing behind him until it was too late. With a Dragon Slave formed in her hands, she had gotten close enough to send it right through her opponent.

"Dragon Slave!" she hollered releasing the spell. The priest turned and put his arms up to defend himself against the blinding red light. The monster screamed as his body was torn away. The closeness of the attack might have finished him off if Lina had been at full strength, but the two Ranga Blades she'd used before were finally showing their after-effect.

Xellos managed to escape the spell while the others were hit with the aftershock. Filia sheltered Valgarv's egg while Gourry provided cover for the unconscious Amelia.

As the spell cleared, Lina was left on wobbly legs, panting to regain her breath. Her hair colour was beginning to fade. She had used too much energy.

Gourry noticed this and he ran to catch her before she fell. Taking the sorceress in his arms, the swordsman carried her away from their enemy who was still standing. There was a large gaping hole running through the priest's body, but he was still standing.

"I must admit that attack had me worried for a moment," the priest said as he began to re-gather himself. "But I see you're all out of energy."

Xellos appeared by Filia's side. He was on his knees since he couldn't force himself to stand anymore. He gave Filia an apologetic look before hanging his head guiltily. There was nothing more he could do. There wasn't anything anyone could do.

Suddenly, Filia found herself the only one able to stand and fight. Gourry was weapon-less, Amelia was out cold, Lina was very weak, and Xellos had already given it his all. Filia was the only one who hadn't fought.

She handed Valgarv's egg to Xellos and rose to meet the priest who was taking this time to repair his body. The monster smirked as she stepped in front of her friends in order to protect them. It was her turn now, and she was determined not to let this monster kill anyone else.

"Do you really think you can defeat me gold dragon?" he asked mockingly. He raised his staff which began glowing with power.

Filia closed her eyes and clasped her hands in front of her. She began chanting while the priest watched unimpressed. Killing her would be easy, he mused. Her eyes shot open and a light formed around the priest, holding him in place.

The priest tried to move but was unsuccessful. Still, he didn't seem worried. The spell wouldn't be able to hold him for long, and when he was free he'd kill them all.

"This is an interesting spell. Ray Freeze right? I haven't seen it in a while."

"I used to be a priestess," Filia informed him. She dipped her head and began to recite another spell. With any luck, this one would be able to finish him off.

"Chaotic Disintegrate!"

A huge amount of golden light blasted towards the priest who watched in disbelief as the spell came towards him. He closed his eyes against the brightness and struggled against the Ray Freeze that had him in it's hold. He managed to break free a little too late, and the powerful spell engulfed him.

When the golden light vanished, there was nothing left of the monster. She had done it, but what would it do? Sooner or later another monster would be after them.

More notes: This chapter took me the longest to write. My brain failed, and I had to resurrect it several times. I'm also starting to run out of title ideas… Not to worry, by the time my inspiration runs completely dry I should be done.