SailorStar9: Anyway, Chapter 4 goes up. This is Chapter 5. To all my non-reviewing readers, I love you all! Will love you more if you review! *hugs all round!*

Disclaimers: Nothing here is mine, well, except the plot and the pairing.

Chapter 5: HELP! Shabranigdo is Reborn!

"I see you're awake." Zelgadis stopped in mid-swing of his sword, Aria stirring from her position on the bed.

"What did I miss?" Aria mumbled.

"Consciousness, for starters." Zelgadis joked, sheathing his blade and took his place beside her.

"Smartass." Aria muttered, swatting him on the arm.

"Okay, I deserve that." Zelgadis admitted. "Well, Lina kinda of explained… I'm sorry." He tucked his chin under her head. "I didn't know Rezo murdered Luce, and with all those horrible memories… it's little wonder why Zuni placed the 'Obliviate' seal on you."

"And me meeting up with you guys again forced my subconscious to break the 'Obliviate' seal." Aria guessed. "Well, guess that explains the headache. Rezo?" she asked, resting a hand on Zelgadis' cheek.

"I should've taken your warning." Zelgadis whispered, flinching from the sudden touch. "And now…" he looked away. "Aria…" he turned his head when he felt the girl's head rest on his back.

"Aren't we at Rezo's tower yet?" Gourry whined, the group traveling to their destination.

"We should be able to see it soon." Zelgadis replied.

"What's it like inside?" Lina asked.

"It's mostly just empty space up to the top hall." Zelgadis answered. "The tower itself looks to have been built a thousand years ago."

"In other words, around the time a part of Shabranigdo was reborn in the War of the Monster Resurrection." Aria concluded.

"So it would seem." Zelgadis agreed. "There, you can see it now."

"That's it?" Gourry gaped at the shadow ahead.

"Yes, that's Rezo's tower." Zelgadis confirmed.

"Rezo, we've come as you told us to." Lina shouted, the group entering the main hall. "Why don't you show yourself?"

"Rezo!" Gourry's hand was immediately on his sword as the Red Priest appeared on top of the staircase.

"That's a phantom." Aria warned.

"I bid you all welcome." Rezo greeted.

"Have you no honour?" Gourry demanded.

"Forgive this form I've taken, but I'm occupied at the present." Rezo explained.

"We brought the Philosopher's Stone." Aria stated, Lina showing the statue. "But I'd prefer to give it to you in person. And ask you something."

"Agreed." Rezo consented. "Forgive me, but would you please come to the top of the tower?"

"That's gonna be a pain to climb." Lina noted, Rezo vanishing, the illusion along with him.

"Quite." Zelgadis agreed.

"Lina, a 'Levitation' please." Aria requested.

"Got it." Lina nodded. "Levitation!" she cast her spell.

"Water Lock!" Aria added a spell of her own, encasing the group in the water bubble.

"I'm falling!" Gourry screamed, hanging onto Lina as Aria's water bubble transported them up. "Save me! I'm falling!"

"We've landed." Lina stated, Aria's bubble dispersing with a muted 'pop'. "Are you just gonna hang onto me all day?" she kicked Gourry off.

"You're blushing." Zelgadis pointed out.

"Shut up!" Lina snapped. "Rezo!" she hurried towards the long table once the door opened into the room.

"I've been waiting for you, my good and dear friends." Rezo remarked.

"The Philosopher's Stone is inside of this." Lina pulled out the statue.

"Will you give it to me then?" Rezo asked.

"It isn't going to be so easy." Lina retorted.

"Come now, surely you don't think I can be defeated here." Rezo chided.

"There's a couple of things I want to know first." Aria cut in, her sapphire amulet glowing brightly. "Answer them or I'll have Lina blow the statue to smithereens. Let's stop beating around the bush. What are you really after?"

"Didn't Zelgadis tell you already?" Rezo prompted. "I could explain it to you, but you wouldn't understand. None of you could."

"Even accepting that, it doesn't explain something." Aria pointed out. "Why did you tell us the truth when we first met? What were you doing here when you sent Dilgear and that Monster after us? If you really wanted the Stone, it would've been faster to just come after us yourself. Or did you have something else to do?"

"Is there some other reason you want it?" Zelgadis demanded.

"Maybe you really want to cure your eyes." Aria admitted. "But it's the method that has me nervous."

"You don't mean…" Zolf realized.

"Well then, what's your conclusion?" Rezo prompted.

"Your deal with that Monster," Aria continued, her sapphire orb shining brighter. "You get your sight back in exchange for resurrecting Shabranigdo, Dark Lord of the Monster race. That's why you couldn't tell us the truth and why you spent so much time preparing to do it."

"I don't believe it." Zolf was taken aback.

"Who would imagine?" even Zelgadis was shocked.

"Well done," Rezo applauded. "I expected nothing less from Luce's legacy. I'll be truthful. It's all exactly as you predicted. Resurrecting Shabranigdo is the cure for my blindness."

"That's crazy." Zelgadis snapped.

"You'd destroy the world just for your own benefit?" Zolf demanded.

"If the powers of Man are not enough, then one must turn to either the powers of God or the Monsters." Rezo replied. "The Dark Lord's power is the strongest of all. And I believe what Shabranigdo is sealed in this tower."

"Are you mad?" Zelgadis retorted.

"Anyway, now that we know that, we can't let you have the Stone." Lina declared.

"Let us see what happens." Rezo noted.

"I'll blast this thing right here and now." Lina prepared her spell.

"Life born of hardest stone, formed of weak flesh," Rezo started his incantation. "Let the spell release you and return you to your home. Become one with my will and become mine. Now dance, my loyal puppet."

His eyes glowing red, Zelgadis knocked the statute out of Lina's hands and Rezo caught it within his bubble.

"Zelgadis!" Gourry gaped, Lina freeing herself.

"He's under Rezo's control." Aria realized.

"Now then, be so kind as to play with these people here." Rezo instructed.

"Lady Aria!" Rodimus blocked off Zelgadis' attack.

"Rezo!" Gourry took off after the Red Priest

"He's going to resurrect Shabranigdo." Rodimus warned. "Master Zelgadis!" he gaped, the chimera blocking off the door. "Come to your senses!" he pleaded, fending off Zelgadis' assault.

"Dammit, while we're tied up with him…" Gourry cursed.

"Leave this to me." Lina stated. "Diem Wing!" she blasted Zelgadis against the wall.

"Requiem Mist!" Aria cast her healing mist.

"What happened?" Zelgadis muttered. "What happened to me?"

"You were under Rezo's control." Aria explained. "He probably programmed you when he made your new body so that you'd be sure to follow his commands."

"Damnit!" Zelgadis cursed, slamming a fist on the ground.

"No time for that." Lina reminded. "If we don't stop Rezo…"

"What a huge magic circle." Zolf stated, the group reaching the top.

"Shabranigdo!" Rezo chanted. "The time for your rebirth has come. What the…" he gaped when the Philosopher's Stone shattered.

"Did he fail?" Zolf wondered.

"No, he hasn't." Lina corrected. "The power in here is getting stronger."

"Were we too late?" Zelgadis asked, shielding Aria from the intense wind.

"He was wrong." Aria breathed in realization, Rezo screaming as his eyes opened.

"At last!" Rezo laughed. "I've done it at last!"

"This tower isn't where Shabranigdo is sealed at all." Aria gasped. "This is only the place for the ceremony. Now I understand why Rezo's eyes refused to open no matter what he did; the Dark Lord is sealed within Rezo's eyes."

"The Dark Lord is being reborn." Lina realized.

SailorStar9: Okay, this chapter is finally down. Read and review folks.