A/N: Its me again! Thanks to anyone who reviewed last chapter! I don't expect many people to read my stories, but I'm glad someone is. Ah, oh well.
Disclaimer: I don't own Slayers. I just use the characters for my own amusement, because I am evil! :X Okay, I'm not evil at all, but you get the drift...
Talelia: Tale-el-ea
Chapter 2
Bad Hair Day
Lina shifted in her queen bed, now looking up at the ceiling. Her long firery orange hair was scattered over the cream colored sheets and the soft blue pillow. She sighed and shifted her view to the beautiful full moon, the reflection shining in her eyes.
"The moon looks larger over here." She mumbled before suddenly hearing footsteps passing her door. Curiosity getting the best of her, Lina slipped on her soft slippers and cracked the door open ever so slightly. There, she saw Ukatsu standing in the hallway. Lina shivered. Ukastu was one of the people who sent shivers down her spine at the mere thought of his name. Even though she knew him for less than a day, he had a creepy vibe about him. Ukatsu looked impatient, like he was waiting for someone.
He paced back and forth. A low squeak would emit from the tan floorboards whenever Ukatsu paced. Finally, the person Ukatsu was waiting for arrived. "It's about time." Ukatsu scoffed.
Fubaii crossed her arms. "It's not my fault, the baby Densui didn't want to come again. I know she's reluctant to carry this out, but still..."
"We just have to make dear sister do it next time. We can't keep covering up for her. But right now the ships will be leaving soon, and we're wasting time standing here. Zuuma won't be pleased if we're late." Ukatsu put on his coat as Lina froze.
"Z-Zuuma?!" She gasped just a little too loud. "Uh oh, better get back to the bed!" Lina dove into her bed just before the door opened.
"Strange, I thought I heard something in here..." Fubaii mumbled. She scanned the dark room one more time before slowly closing the door. "Let's get going." The sound of footsteps slowly faded away. Lina got dressed and snuck out of her room, planning to follow them. Alone. If Zuuma was really there she didn't want her friends to get hurt because of her.
Ukatsu and Fubaii patiently waited. For security, Fubaii kept a dagger in her back pocket. Ukatsu and Fubaii didn't trust Zuuma, but it was in their orders to cooperate with Zuuma. It was that, or die a painful death. They had known friends who were killed just because they didn't follow orders, or even if they made one slight mistake. Their boss was to be feared by all, no doubt.
They had a bit of a hard time sneaking through the bustling streets, now that the clubs were open. Sagami Port was known for more than just their fish, but for the lively parties and...well, the extreme pleasure that occurred in the beds, or anywhere.
"You came." Zuuma stepped out from a shadow of a large ship. "But you're missing one." Ukatsu gulped.
"She couldn't come." Fubaii scoffed. "And to be frankly, I wouldn't want to visit a freak, either."
"Watch your tongue, little girl," Zuuma warned, "or I'll rip it off." In a blink he was standing in front of her, sharp claws pressing on her cold neck. "I should kill you right now..." He backed away. "But I won't, since you could be useful in the future."
"Yeah, yeah." Fubaii rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. Even though she was deathly afraid of him, she would never give in. No, her pride was too important. "Look, we're here just to go over the plan, yes? So let's get this over with. I have chocolates to throw at people, and this is wasting my time."
"This is wasting your time?!" Zuuma growled. "I just came from the Ruvinagald Kingdom just to meet with you people! And yet you say you're wasting your time?!"
"Forgive my sister! She can be rather...bratty, sometimes." Ukatsu eyed Fubaii. She eyed him back.
"And secretive. I would take your hand off that dagger, you know won't do you any good." Zuuma chuckled. Fubaii froze and gritted her teeth, taking the dagger out of her pocket.
"I shouldn't be surprised. The best assassin would obviously know if his associates would carry any weapons, yes?"
"Correct, now kick it away, before Zuuma gets angier." Ukatsu ordered. Fubaii did as she was told, kicking the gleaming silver dagger into the dark depths of the cold lake. "That's better. Now, about our plan..."
"Leor Markan." Lina whispered. It was a spell she learned a long time ago. The spell was supposed to conceal your presence to all. Hopefully, it would work. While following Ukatsu and Fubaii, two questions were stuck in her mind: How did those three know Zuuma? And, most importantly, how was Zuuma alive? The last Lina remembered was Zuuma being killed by Xellos. At least she remembered it, unlike her forgetful protecter. She unconsciously smiled to herself. Oh, that jellyfish br- 'What're you doing, Lina?! You can't think about Gourry right now!' Lina mentally scolded herself. She edged closer ever so slightly, being careful not to fall off the ledge.
The shadows of the large stacks of crates containing expensive silk and beautiful embroideries aided Lina in helping her stay hidden to her enemies. She stood on a crate, a perfect spot to see them. On the downside, though, Lina could only pick up a small parts of their plan, for she wasn't close enough to hear them clearly.
"But why does it have to take so long?!" Fubaii whined. "I say we kill 'em and get it before anyone in this worthless town notices!"
"What're you people talking 'bout?" A drunken voice asked. The villains turned their heads to find a drunk man walking down the dock. The drunk man, with a bottle of beer in his hands, fell down in front of them. "Ohh, is it a plan?" He slurred almost every word while getting up in front of them. "N-now I can keep a s-secret! So here's what we're gonna do: We're gonna get all the geese from-" He covered his mouth, like he was going to throw up. After a few seconds, he recovered and his hand on Zuuma's shoulder. "Oh, t-thanks buddy! You're a life s-saver! Now, a-as I was saying-"
"Enough!" Zuuma growled. Before Lina could even blink the drunken man collapsed in a pool of his own thick blood. His ripped clothes immediately were stained as they absorbed some of the blood. He had a hard time breathing, as he was severely hurt in the neck. The gaping hole in his chest grew wider. Lina gasped as Zuuma approached the almost dead drunken man. She had go to something! Lina was about to make a fireball, when something strange happened. Zuuma grabbed the man's neck and lifted him up, absorbing something from the man. She watched painfully as the man's skin started to disappear until his bone's showed, knowing she could do nothing now. Finally, Zuuma dropped the man. The bones quickly turned to weightless dust and was carried off by the cold wind.
"I..." Ukatsu was speechless. How was this possible? It was like Zuuma sucked up every last bit if life from that man and turned it into strength! Was this even possible?! He cleared his throat. "Wonderful job, Zuuma. I see why you are so feared. Tell me, how did you do that?"
"Flattery will get you nowhere. Just do your job, and you all might stay alive." Zuuma scoffed. Fubaii wrinkled her nose, a sign that she was not happy.
"As you say..." She muttered. I swear, I'll kill that Zuuma! She gritted her teeth. "We'll meet up in 3 days from now. Hopefully, the plan will go as we say it will. It's a win win for both of us, but mostly you. You get to kill your precious little Lina Inverse, get the book, and we get to stay alive. Oh, boy. Sounds like this is a really great bargain," Fubaii said sarcastically as she rolled her eyes.
"Would you rather be killed right now? I can arrange that."
"No thanks."
"So our little friend Zuuma still wants to kill me." Lina chuckled to herself. "Ya know, I really hate how persistent this guy is. I mean, c'mon! He'd at least give up and quit! Ah, well, there's no time for wishful thinking. It looks like they're done talking, so I'd better get back to the inn." Lina snuck away, unknown to her that Ukatsu thought he may have seen a lock of fiery red hair running away.
"My ship is leaving. Go, we will meet as planned." Zuuma ordered as he bordered the large ship. It swayed back and forth due to the small, yet powerful, angry waves from the lake. Ukatsu and Fubaii nodded, going their separate ways. Walking past, Fubaii thought she saw a petrified, frozen face in the water for a split second. But, maybe that was in her imagination.
"Good morning, Miss Lina!" Amelia smiled, but then frowned when she sew how tired Lina really was. "Miss Lina, did you get any sleep last night?! You look horrible!"
"I LOOK WHAT?!" Lina whacked Amelia over the head. "The beautiful genius sorceress NEVER looks horrible! I just stayed up late thinking of something, that's all!"
"Thinking of something?" Amelia repeated before her eyes sparkled. "Oh, you were thinking about Mr Gourry! Have you finally realized your true feelings for him?! Oh, this is wonderful!" She clasped her hands together and squealed in delight. She jumped up and down on the tan floorboards until Lina whacked the Justice Lover on her head.
"AMELIA, GET YOUR HEAD OUT OF THE CLOUDS! I WAS NOT THINKING ABOUT GOURRY!" Lina exclaimed, her face as red as a tomato.
"Then what, or who, were you thinking of?" Amelia asked. Lina looked around, just to make sure no one was near them. "Miss Lina, is everything alright? You can tell me if something's wrong."
"I'll tell everyone later." Lina and Amelia made their way down the squeaky stairs and to breakfast where Gourry was already eating. They could smell the steaming hot pot, and the wonderful fragrance of pancakes. Gourry was eating a large stack of pancake, while Zelgadis had a small cup of lemon tea. The room had four medium sized wooden tables with six seats at each of them. They were all made of oak wood, and decorated with designs of fish, such as bass. The wall was a deep blue, also decorated with fish. The kitchen was near the dining room, so you could hear the clatter and clangs of pots and the shouts of angry chefs.
"They must really love fish, huh?" Amelia wondered aloud.
"Well Amelia, this is a town famous for fish." Lina reminded. "It would make sense if you saw fish everywhere."
"Morning!" Gourry greeted with a mouth full of food. Lina sat next to Gourry and started to eat viciously, like always. It was a little strange eating at the town hall, since they're used to eating at a restaurant, normally. And, they usually didn't have creepy people staring at them.
Ukatsu and Fubaii were sitting at another table across from their own table. Fubaii ate like a hog, but Ukatsu barley had anything. Just maybe two spoonfuls of chicken noodle soup. The only thing he really did during breakfast was stare at Lina and Gourry.
"Kill the swordsman...kill him..." He quietly murmured. "She's mine..." Fubaii wrinkled her nose in disgust at Ukatsu. She hated when he acted like this. So, to solve the problem, she...
Dumped all of the chicken noodle soup on his head.
"Hey! Earth to Ukatsu!" Fubaii threw the large black pot aside next to the infuriated Ukatsu. It made a loud, hollow bang as it hit the floor. "Are you there?! If so, stop acting creepy!"
"WHAT WAS THAT FOR?!" Ukatsu roared as he abruptly stood up. The broth dripped from his dark hair, bits of chicken all over his coat. He didn't care who looked, all he focused on was strangling the life out of the bratty troublemaker. Fubaii smirked and put her hands on her hip.
"Are we okay now? It certainly isn't good to plan a murder out loud," she said loud enough that only she and Ukatsu could hear. Ukatsu lightly blushed. He was caught. He clenched his fists as his eyes turned red as Densui walked into the room.
"That is none of your business!" He spat. He marched past the worried Densui and up the stairs.
"Oni-chan, wait!" Densui ran after him, leaving an unbearable awkward silence behind. Amelia stared at Fubaii. Amelia knew she said something to Ukatsu, but what? Whatever it was, it must've been the reason Ukatsu stormed away, besides the soup being dumped on him.
"And what're you looking at?" Fubaii growled. Amelia shook her head.
"Oh, uh, nothing." She answered, turning around. She and Zelgadis exchanged glances, thinking the same thing: Boy, was she touchy! Fubaii sat back down in her seat and continued to eat, as if nothing ever happened. She ignored the stares from the workers and from Amelia and her friends. If I can kill people, then I can handle being stared at by a bunch of lowlifes. Fubaii thought as she scarfed down the warm scrambled eggs. Pay no attention to them, and they'll go away. She chugged the cold beer down. Besides, everyone in town in gonna die soon, anyways. At least that's what I've been told. She set the beer down as the janitors started to clean up.
One janitor was cleaning near Fubaii's feet when he felt something go down his neck. He felt the back of his neck and felt...eggs? Looking down at the floor he saw eggs.
"You missed a spot." Fubaii smirked. The janitor tried his best not to throw the mop in Fubaii's face, knowing she was the reason why there was eggs on his neck, and on the floor.
"I'll get it..." He muttered, his back to Fubaii. Fubaii chugged down another glass of freezing beer. The liquid climbed down her chin and fell onto the floor. The janitor grumbled and cleaned it up. Fubaii stood up and burped rather loudly when she was done.
"The food was horrible." She scoffed.
"Then why did you eat it all?" Zelgadis inquired.
Fubaii shot him down with a death glare. "Because I had to make sure all of it was terrible, freak!" She growled. Zelgadis stood up, but Amelia grabbed his arm.
"Mr Zelgadis, please sit down. She isn't worth fighting." Amelia weakly smiled at him. Zelgadis sighed and sat back down.
"I swear, that girl makes more enemies than Lina." He muttered. Eventually, Fubaii left. Amelia turned to Lina.
"So, Miss Lina, what were you saying earlier?" Amelia inquired. Once again, Lina looked around to make sure no one was listening.
"Last night, I heard someone walk past my door," Lina began. Gourry finished his meal and leaned back in his chair. "I found Ukatsu and Fubaii outside my door. It turns out they were going to meet Zuuma." Amelia choked on her food.
"Zuuma?! As in the Zuuma that tried to kill you?! Isn't he dead?!"
"Yes, you idiot! What other Zuuma is there?!" Lina hissed. "Anyways, I followed them. Zuuma was already waiting for them at the docks. I wasn't close enough to hear their plans, but I know Zuuma's still up to no good. He gained a new ability." Lina set down her fork and knives. "It was like he sucked the life out of a person and turned it into strength."
"That's insane!" Zelgadis breathed. "Lina, why didn't you do anything?"
"It happened so fast, I..." Lina shook her head. "Right now we need to focus. We have two problems. One: We have to protect the book. Two: We have to deal with a revengeful, crazy assassin who's suddenly come back to life."
"Lina, why didn't you tell us you were leaving?" Gourry frowned. It hurt him a little when Lina leapt into danger without her protecter. But then again, Lina was danger itself... "You could have least woken me up."
"Gourry, if I took the time to wake anyone up, I wouldn't of been able to make it on time. Besides, we have more pressing matters that me not waking you up." Lina frowned.
"Let's focus on the main problem." Zelgadis cleared his throat. "How're we going to get rid of Zuuma? The book showing is tomorrow, so there would be no time to investigate. It's not like he-" Zelgadis abruptly stopped, like he realized something. "Lina, I think Zuuma is the one who made those attacks on the town just to draw you out!"
"If you think about it, that makes sense." Amelia agreed. "But-"
"Good morning, everyone!" Detheeder grinned as he stepped into the room. "I take it you all slept well? I sure hope so! Right now, we have to focus on getting ready for the book showing! Come along, we haven't much time. You'll meet Mrs Talelia there. She'll get everything ready!"
"What?! Hey there, slow down!" Gourry exclaimed as he and his friends were hurriedly pushed out of the building. "Where is it being held?! At least give us some info!"
"Sorry, I'm really busy at the moment. Goodbye!" Detheeder slammed the door. Some dust fell down, some of it getting in Gourry's nose. He sneezed.
"He seemed in a hurry. I wonder why?" Gourry inquired.
"We'll have to find out later. C'mon everyone, let's go find this Mrs Talelia!" Amelia grinned. She dragged her friends along into the town.
After looking for hours and hours around the hustling town, they finally found Mrs Talelia.
And they were sorely disappointed.
Mrs Taleia was a very regal lady, wearing a violent gown with sparkling sapphires for jewely. Her long red hair was tied up in a large bun. Any hair that wasn't tied up was curled. Amelia bowed.
"I am Amelia, and these are my friends," Amelia began. "Mr Zelgadis, Ms Lina, and Mr Gourry."
"I am Mrs Ruby Talelia of Mysteria, and I presume you are the princess of the- OH MY GOD!" Mrs Talelia shrieked.
"What's wrong?!" Zelgadis exclaimed. Mrs Talelia shakily pointed to Lina's hair. She had quite a time trying to get even one word out.
"H-Her hair is terrible!" She shrieked.
"MY HAIR IS WHAT?!"
"It's the worse hair I've seen in years!"
"NOW LOOK HERE-"
"Mrs Talelia, Mr Detheeder said we should find you." Amelia changed the subject as Gourry attempted to calm down Lina. Mrs Talelia looked over Amelia's shoulders, her green emerald eyes never wavering from Lina's hair. "Mrs Taleia, are you alright?"
"I refuse to work with you people until I fix her hair!" Mrs Taleia proclaimed, crossing her arms.
"You can't do that!" Zelgadis exclaimed. "You were hired to do this! You can't quit right before the day of the book showing!" He crossed his arms. "Mr Detheeder wouldn't be very happy."
"Ah, but I can!" Mrs Talelia began to fan her face with her purple floral decorated fan. "I've known Detheeder for years! He would do anything to make sure everything goes perfect! And since he is your boss, he can force Ms Lina to let me do her hair."
"Sorry to upset you, but you really can't force Lina to do anything!" Gourry sighed. "Everyone's tried, but they all fail."
"For once, Jellyfish-brains here is right." Lina smirked. "You can't really force-"
"She'll do it!" Amelia interrupted. Lina grabbed Amelia and began to choke her violently. Mrs Talelia shrieked and tried to separate Lina and Amelia, but to no avail.
"What do you mean I'll do it?!" Lina growled as she violently shook Amelia. "I'm not doing anything!"
"Lina, hold on." Zelgadis spoke up. Lina stopped choking Amelia and looked at him.
"What?!"
"While Mrs Talelia is doing your hair, Amelia and I could go investigate." Zelgadis suggested. "This may be our only chance until the book showing."
Lina sighed and reluctantly let go of Amelia. "Fine, just don't take too long. I'll give you guys an hour, but come right back so we can end this!"
"Splendid!" Mrs Talelia grinned. "Well, come along! We have a lot of work to do!" Mrs Talelia dragged Lina and Gourry along. "Oh, we're going to have so much fun, I can hardly wait!" She squealed.
"I wonder how long this is going to last," Amelia sighed, "but, I bet Ms Lina won't last very long, knowing her."
"Then lets get going." Zelgadis suggested as he walked out the door. Amelia chased after him, laughing along the way. She looked back and thought she could see a bit of smoke escaping from the window of the dressing room.
"Lina's at it already." She sighed, then perked up. "So, where to first?"
A/N: Oh boy. This isn't gonna end well! But on the bright side, Amelia and Zel can investigate! Yay! That's all for now, guys. Thanks to anyone and everyone who has reviewed, followed, etc. Bye!