Phibrizzo glared at Lina, trying to figure out just what she was now. She had enough power to give him actual pain, but she wasn't a dragon or a mazoku. She didn't radiate either darkness or light like either of the other two great races. "How did a pathetic little human girl manage to catch the Lord of Nightmare's favor?" he asked himself. "And what is L-Sama's plan for her now?" Well he couldn't bother with that now, there were more immediate problems. "She's right we're just walking along waiting for Zelas to show, might as well go look for that dragon while we wait."
"Don't tell me, YOU'RE worried about a RYUZOKU?"
"We could use all the help we can get, and she didn't seem all that bad."
"Hey what ever happened to Filia?" Lina said suddenly. Phibrizzo blanched, but recovered before either of the other two noticed. His simulacra of the dragon had vanished when he "lost" the crystals.
"That crazy dragon must have wandered off somewhere," Garv said.
"She wasn't acting herself," Lina noted. "Maybe we should..."
"We have more important things to consider than a lost dragon with a cleaver," Phibrrizzo sniped. "Yeah, like we're really operating on any leads," Lina said.
Meanwhile Zel and the others were on their way to get help from the Claire Bible. "Do you really think this will work, Amelia?" Martina asked, holding on desperately to the bottom of Zel's foot as they flew over the forest.
"Of course it will! I know that Justice is on our side and we will triumph!" Amelia began her speech, but was cut off by Zel. "We better get there soon, or I'm going to dump this load of trash points at martina at any point soon! she's weighing me down!"
"We'll be there soon, Zelgadiss! Calm down, she can't weigh THAT much!"
Marting sweatdropped. "I DON'T weigh that much!!"
"Thats what you think" mumbled Zelgadiss.
"There! We can land there!" cried Amelia. They found a flat place to land on, and were able to walk to the entrance to the cave leading to the Claire Bible.
"Now what do we do?" Amelia asked.
"I WILL GO IN THIS TIME!" Martina laughed evilly. "OH HOHOHOHOHOHOHO!!! It is my turn! Lina is not here!" Everyone sweatdropped. The crystals holding Filia and Xellos glistened in the sunlight, drawing the attention of the dragons. It wasn't long before several dragons landed nearby.
"Who are you?" asked one of the dragons. Another dragon moved in to get a closer look at the crystals, and upon seeing Filia, roared. "WHAT IS FILIA DOING IN THIS CRYSTAL!?"
Amelia stepped up, "we found our friend in this state, and thought that maybe you could help us out..." her voice trailed off.
"We need your help to release them. If you do not help us, we will be unable to find Lina and help her before she decides to help Zelas and becomes a mazoku!" Zelgadiss yelled up to the dragons.
"What? Lina Inverse isn't a mazoku yet?" one asked
"No, but when she becomes one, there will be hell to pay.." One of the golden dragons swooped down to land in front of them, morphing into human form as it settled to the ground.
"How did this situation come about?" He scanned their party. As he came to the blind-priest his eyes narrowed. "And is this Rezo, I had supposed that he was dead."
"Its confusing." Gourry said.
"For once he has something right," Amelia sighed.
"Somebody resurrected Phibrizzo, Garv and Rezo. Since then Zelas and Phibrizzo have been trying to kill the rest of us." Zelgadis and the others were unaware that Phibrizzo had since joined Lina and Garv.
"In order to figure out what's going on, Lina and Garv are going to pretend to help Zelas."
"So this is all some sort of trick."
"Yes, but we have to get to the Clair Bible and find out how to free them before the trick becomes real," Amelia shouted.
"I can understand you asking our aid in freeing Filia, but why, praytell, should any of us want to help that one?" He pointed at Xellos.
"We need his help to get Zelas and Phibrizzo off our backs! Without his help we have NO chance whatsoever to get back our normal lives!" Amelia cried out, "I'm sick of this land! I want to see my daddy again, and..I want to see my kingdom again! This is horrible! Since we got here we have been constantly attacked by people who are trying to kill us. We still have no idea why we were brought here!!"
Milgasia sweatdropped. "Well, I guess that makes sense, but how do you expect to gain his help?"
"Oh, he will help us" Rezo said mysteriously.
"Umm..Rezo, how do you plan to make him help us out?" Zel asked, curious.
Meanwhile Lina and the others were wandering around, slowly making their way to see Zelas. "I just can't figure out how you got to be like this Lina! Its such a change from your old, bratty self."
"Listen, you. I'm not exactly too happy with this change. I would rather be my beautiful self! This is only good because of the extra power I now have!"
Lina glowered at Phibrizzo, who only smiled at her. "I personally like it, Lina. Its a good look for you."
"uh...thanks Garv!" Garv only smiles
"So, what am I supposed to do when I get there? Be like, HI ZELAS! what do you think of my new form?! Isn't it great that I have had L-sama living inside of me for a long time? I think it is! And I really enjoy this form!!"
"Listen Lina," Garv began. "there is NO need to be sarcastic."
"Would you prefer the alternative?" Lina asked.
"Alternative?" Garv asked.
"Yeah, you know where the queen of mood swings turns...." Phibrizzo erupted into flame.
"I keep doing that."
"Let's just make sure Filia's okay and continue on to Wolf Pack Island." She stomped back along their path, checking the ground for tracks.
"What's the problem? You can wear that illusion whenever you're in a town."
"As long as I stay away from mirrors and don't touch anybody, yeah."
"Here's her tracks," Phibrizzo declared. "They just end, guess she took off."
Lina and Garv looked at the tracks and then looked at Phibrizzo, suspicious. "Well, let's go, I'm sure she'll turn up sooner or later," Lina said. Then she sighed. "It was bad enough just being the 'enemy of all that lived.' No one will ever want me near them now."
She looked up as she felt a hand on her shoulder and saw Garv smiling at her. "Well, maybe not nobody." She thought. Phibrizzo narrowed his eyes at the display. This could get dangerous for him.
Meanwhile, Amelia is stuck with the difficult task of trying to convince Milgasia that both Filia and Xellos need to be free of the crystal. "Milgasia, if you are going to free one, you might as well free the other! Just think..hardly any excess energy on your part, and not just one, but TWO freed people!"
Amelia continued to ramble as Milgasia filed his nails. "Amelia, there MUST be some reason that you want Xellos freed from this crystal! Just get down to business and tell me what the hell it is." Milgasia said as he slammed down his fist onto a large rock, breaking it into two.
Amelia sweatdropped."Uh, well..that is..uh..well, that is..uh.." Milgasia sighed in frustration and began to aim a flare arrow at Xellos' crystal when Amelia screamed out, "NO! YOU CAN'T! He must survive! That is the only way..the ONLY way! Zelas will be mad that you killed him off, and it would make our journey back to our time more difficult! We need to get back, and the one hindering that is Zelas, we need to keep her happy! Please, PLEASE HELP US!"
Zel finally spoke up, "Milgasia, we desperately need your help, and would appreciate any help that you can give us. Please..." Milgasia looked at everyone before considering what to do next. He nodded his ascent, and the two were freed from their crystals. Martina walked over to Milgasia, "How did you DO that??"
She looked him over curiously as Filia and Xellos began to sit up. "You seem to forget that I was alive for the Kouma War," Milgasia noted. "I have seen the Hellmaster's sorceries before, granted it did take forever to figure out the first time, but it seems he hasn't bothered to change the spell since then."
"The Kouma War?" Gourry and Martina said simultaneously. Milgasia blinked.
"Don't bother with trying to educate them," Zelgadis said. "It would be easier to teach a rock to sing."
"Hmmm now just how did I get....?" Xellos looked up to see an angry Milgasia and then smiled broadly. "Why hello there, I suppose I have you to thank for my release. I hope you also...."
"Amelia-san! I thought Lina killed that arrogant little hellbrat!" Filia snapped. "Ah yes there she is."
"Don't thank me for your release mazoku," Milgasia said in a low voice. "The girl there insisted. Filia-san you say it was the Hellbrat that sealed you in and the mazoku in these crystals?"
"That doesn't change anything, we know that Zelas is working with Phibrizzo." Zelgadis sighed. "But it does beg the question as to why he'd seal Xellos as well."
"I don't know how HE got caught," Filia sniffed. "The brat snatched me off my front porch before I really got a chance to wake up."
"My master working with Phibrizzo, after last time I doubt either side of that equasion likes the other."
"So in other words you claim that Zelas isn't trying to destroy us because she wants to, but because she is being FORCED to?" Amelia asked.
"You don't expect us to believe that do you?"
"I said she wouldn't work with Phibrizzo out of choice, whether she wants to kill you or not is completely up to her current mood." Xellos smiled at them smuggly.
"So why would she resurrect him then?"
"Resurrect him? It would take something like Shabrinigdo or Ceifeed to resurrect a dark lord from death." Zel and Amelia looked in shocked. Ameila looks at Zel and said "Did he just say Shabrinigdo could resurrect a dark lord from death."
Zel nods his head Yes. Amelia then turns to Xellos and says "Well Shabrinigdo and Ceifeed are both dead. Maybe Lina really didn't kill Phibrizo after all."
Gourry who is totally confused speaks "What exactly are you guys talking about it." Zel turns to Gourry and says "Don't you ever pay attention to what we are talking about."
Meanwhile Lina and the others were still making their way to find Zelas. Lina looks up at Garv and asks "Are we ever going to find Zelas it seems we have been walking forever."
Phibrizzo turns to her "Stop Complaining we will be there soon enough."
Phibrizzo is once again engulfed by flames. Well, dammit..i need to watch what I say to her.. Lina smiled with satisfaction as she contined to trudge toward's Zelas' castle. Lina sighed, "This is POINTLESS and frustrating! I just want to be there! Can't we just teleport??"
She looked up at Garv with big puppy dog eyes only to see him look at her and smirk. "I don't think so, Lina. We need to take it one step at a time. And I don't know about the rest of you guys, but I'm incredibly hungry..want to stop and eat here?" He inquired of the group, looking at the toasted Phibrizzo, and the still-fuming Lina. "Well, I'll take that as a yes! Lets go."
He led the group to a small tavern aptly named, 'SIT AND EAT' He pushed open the door, and pushed Lina in first. "oh, c'mon Lina! Don't worry! We'll get some crappy table far away in the back, ok?" Lina sighed and nodded. They entered the tavern cautiously and sat in the darkest, dreariest corner they could find in the dingy dining room.
Lina sighed, content. "Thank goodness no one can see me in my other form right now! 12 servings of your special today, and I don't know what these guys want." The waitress sweatdropped, and took the order. Ten minutes later, a girl entered the tavern and ran over to where Lina was. "Miss, miss! You must come with me!"
"Wha?" Lina looked back at Garv and Phibrizzo, confused. They stood up and followed her to a large darkened room. Lina was then seated.
"Its time for your MAKEOVER!" she called out excitedly as the lights were suddenly turned on, and Lina was staring at herself in the mirror. Oh..no...
Part 15 | Story Index | Fanfiction