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Author’s notes: Hi! Yay! I’m on the beginning of the middle of the Long Story! Yay! Um…this part’s title is from the Rurouni Kenshin Soundtrack vol. 4. This chapter’s a little crazy, but at least it’ll be more Slayers-like from now on…sort of. Anyway, I know Zelgadis isn’t here, he’ll show up…sometime. Maybe soon. Maybe. Enough blabbing, onward! Oh, yeah, none of these characters belong to me…I wish. ^_^
"Good morning, Lina-san." Amelia greeted the girl cheerfully. "What would you like for breakfast?"
Lina rubbed her eyes. "Breakfast? Where?"
Off to the edge of their camp, she saw the two antagonists of last night.
"No, it’s the road on the left."
"Really? I’m pretty sure it’s the road on the right."
"You’re wrong."
"And why is that exactly?"
"Because I’m right."
"They’ve started already?" Lina asked, rolling her eyes. Gourry blinked while Amelia nodded. Lina sighed. At least they aren’t trying to kill each other anymore.
Xelloss, meanwhile, was trying very hard to keep smiling. "Hm, that wouldn’t be a regular occurrence by any chance, right?"
"Of course it is." Filia replied snidely. "I’m always right."
"My, my. That sounded awfully self-centered, my dear Filia-chan."
"Don’t call me that, Namagomi."
Veins popped on both heads.
"Filia-chan."
"Namagomi."
"Calm, calm…" Amelia placated. "Please, won’t you two eat some breakfast?"
"So which way are we going?" Lina pointed out.
"Right."
"Left."
"Looks like I’m referee again." Lina commented as the two tried to glare each other to death, luckily to no avail. "Okay, Filia, why left?"
Filia looked smug. "Because that road will take us to Zephilia within three days."
"Xelloss?"
"The right because it’s the road farthest from the Dragons’ Stronghold, and it’s closest to where I’m trying to take you guys."
The Dragon sniffed. "You’re certainly sure of your directions, considering you haven’t seen the light of day for a hundred years."
The Demon smiled, even though it was looking a little strained. "Gee, Filia-chan, I don’t see you with the knowledge of where the Demon Lords are sealed."
"Children." Lina reproved as both exchanged glares. That wasn’t exactly true since she knew both of them were a lot older than her, but their behavior certainly wasn’t showing it. "Okay, Xelloss. Where are we going exactly? I used to live in Zephilia, so maybe I can come up with a shorter route. Besides," She added under her breath, "I’m hungry for some real food."
"I agree." Gourry nodded.
The Demon tilted his head. " Hm…Let’s see here." He picked up a stick and began to draw an outline in the dirt. "We’re around here. And unless the Stronghold had been moved, it should be around there." He marked the two places. "I’m trying to get to here-" He pointed at a place near the western border of Zephilia. "I think the Dragons call it-"
"Cursed Valley." Filia finished. "It’s a place that fairly reeks of the Demons’ power. But the Dragons have already searched the Valley more times than I can count. There’s no Demon Lord sealed there. We would have found it by now."
"That’s not the point, Filia-chan." Xelloss said patiently. "I need to go there to get something first."
"What something?"
"Something important."
"What?"
Xelloss opened his eyes so he could roll them in exasperation. "Let’s just say that I need whatever it is so I can help you awaken Demon Lords and Ruby-Eye without getting killed by the first Dragon we encounter."
"Magical items?!" Lina asked excitedly. "Where! Where?!"
The purple haired Mazoku found himself in a headlock on the floor. "Ack! Lina!" He whined.
"Where is the magical item!?" she demanded.
"There isn’t any! At least, not ones humans can use!"
Lina released him. "Drat."
He rubbed his neck, grumbling about how he can’t get the dirt out of his clothes. "Ow. Anyway, I need to go there first. Then we go from there. By the way, Lina, how good are you at magic?"
Lina scratched her head and laughed in embarrassment. "Not very good. Sis never taught me anything and I only learned Shamanism up to Fireball. I know some Black Magic spells, but those don’t work because of the shortage of dark power left in this world."
Xelloss nodded. "I see. Hmm, we’re going to have to do something about that."
"About what?"
"About your magic. We’re going to be going up against Dragons, I don’t think a Fireball can convince them to leave you alone."
Filia took Lina’s hand. "I’ll teach you some Divine Magic, Lina."
"And I’ll teach her some Black Magic."
Lina fairly glowed. "Really??" she asked excitedly.
"No you’re not." Filia said to Xelloss.
"Oh? Why?"
"Because White Magic and Black Magic don’t mix."
"So why don’t I just teach her Black Magic? It’s more useful." Xelloss replied with his nose in the air.
"What?!"
"Neither of you will teach her magic."
"They won’t?" Lina asked.
"We won’t?" Xelloss and Filia said in chorus.
A woman stepped out from the shadows of the surrounding trees. Lina frowned a little. This one looked familiar too. "Who are you?"
"Have you forgotten me already, Human?" she asked.
"That lady in the other dimension!" Lina exclaimed. "The one that kept changing the backgrounds!"
Everybody sweatdropped.
"Who?" Gourry said.
"Yeah, that’s me." The woman said. "But that’s not important."
"You were saying that neither Xelloss nor Filia is allowed to teach me magic." Lina prompted. " Why? And what happened to your gold armor?"
Indeed, the woman was dressed in plain blacks and grays. Her armor was a dark, worn metal of unknown identity. "It would’ve been really conspicuous to walk around glowing, right?"
"Ah."
"Let me introduce myself. My name is Ziracata. Most people call me Zira for short." Zira bowed slightly. "My Mistress has decided that you will learn her magic. I am here to teach you Nightmare Magicks."
"Nightmare Magic? What’s that?"
Zira looked at the sun, already high in the sky. "Maybe I can explain on the way to Zephilia."
"I’m curious, Zira."
"You’re always curious, Xelloss. Curiosity killed the cat."
"What?"
"Never mind. Even if I say I don’t care, you’re still going to tell me, so just spill it." She said. Xelloss pretended to look hurt.
"I just wanted to know why you decided to manifest in this world all of a sudden. I thought She had you busy running all sorts of errands."
"Don’t push it, I’m still higher ranked than you."
"Okay, okay."
Lina didn’t notice their exchange for she was too busy stuffing her face. The energetic little party had found a restaurant/inn and Lina had decided that they would stay there for the night. Filia raised an eyebrow at the rapidly growing stack of plates on the table.
"So much for not attracting attention. How much more can you eat?!" She grumbled. Xelloss shook his head at her.
"There. You went ahead and asked it. Now they’re going to eat even more. Don’t you know asking those questions jinxes things?"
"Shut up, Namagomi."
"What was that, Filia-chan?"
"Would you two quit it?" Zira asked irritably. They’ve been at it from morning to night, and it was showing no signs of letting up. "Sometimes I wonder about Cephy and Shabby’s choice in servants…"
"What was that?" They demanded together. "Stop copying me!" They yelled at each other.
"It’s rather cute." She told them.
"CUTE?!" The General of Cepheed turned an angry red. "CUTE?!!!?"
"I disagree." Xelloss muttered. "She is NOT cute at all."
"Are you saying I’m not cute?!"
"That’s exactly what I’m saying!"
"Ignore them." Lina told Zira. "So, when are you going to start teaching me the Nightmare magic?"
"Soon. You’re going to need it."
"Are we there yet?"
"No."
"How much longer?"
"Just a bit more."
"Where did Zira go?"
"Off somewhere. She disappears once in awhile. It’s natural."
"Oh."
"Are we there yet?"
"No, we’re not."
"Gee, Filia-chan, you didn’t have to bite the girl’s head off."
"If you say so, Namagomi."
"I thought I told you to stop calling me that."
"So you did."
"Dragons have such horrible memory."
"Are you insulting me?"
"What do you think, Filia-chan?"
"One more fight and I think I’m going to beat everyone to a pulp. Can’t you two even try to get along?"
"No."
"There they go again."
"Stop copying me!"
"I’m not the one doing it!"
"Argh! Why can’t we just teleport there!?"
"Yeah, why?"
"Because, dear Lina, whenever demons or dragons use their powers, others with the same powers can feel it. If Filia and I teleport all of you over to the Valley, then we’d get more than we bargained for. Lots of Dragons know my aura. We’d have the Dragon Army chasing us all over the continent. You don’t want that, do you?"
"Oh."
"I would have to agree with the mazoku on this one."
"Is that really so hard?"
"It happens rarely enough."
"Stop it, you two."
"Xelloss, where’s Lina?" Gourry asked as he cleaned his sword. The Demon smiled at him, the light of the fire reflecting off his slitted pupils eerily. Filia was off somewhere, saying she needed to work out some kinks in her muscles, and Amelia was cleaning up camp, which seems to be what she is doing all the time anyway.
"Oh, Lina? I think Zira took her for a lesson in magic." He replied. "That’s a nice sword you have. Can I see it?"
The swordsman handed it over. "Be careful, please. It’s a family heirloom."
"Indeed."
Gourry wondered why the Demon looked at the hilt so intently, instead of the blade. Xelloss was running his fingers over the almost organic spikes on the hilt with an odd smile on his face, smile widening as he touched the rubies that were inlaid. "This is a very special sword, Gourry. Do you know how to use it?"
Proudly, he nodded. "I’m pretty good with a sword."
"That’s nice."
"Do you know how to use one?"
The Demon’s eyes closed as he smiled innocently. "Me? A sword? I’d end up cutting my own fingers off." He handed the blade back to Gourry. "Take care of that sword, okay?"
"Sure."
Xelloss kept his smile. So the Gorn Nova is still in this world. And possessed by a human too. He thought the dragons would have taken it by the end of the war. But apparently they didn’t. That meant that Garvera was still here too. That might be interesting…
Somewhere in the night, a wolf howled.
"Amelia, where’s Filia?" Gourry asked the young girl.
"I think Filia-san’s not too far away. It’s almost time for bed."
"You seem happy."
"I am! Filia-san wants me to learn white magic! She’s going to teach me!" the girl could barely contain her excitement. "Can you imagine?!"
"Wow, that’s really great, Amelia." Gourry patted her shoulder. "It’s so weird, how we’re involved in this big thing. I mean, we were just normal people a few days ago."
"Gourry-san, do you even remember what we’re doing?"
"….no."
Amelia sighed. "Remind me to remind you later, okay?"
"Sure."
The sun was already nearing its zenith when Xelloss finally stopped. The broken, jagged cliff edges that marred the ground as far as the eye can see was the sight that greeted them.
Lina Inverse looked around. They were finally here, at Cursed Valley.