navy = flashback
Their worst nightmares had been realized. The Ruby Eyed Shabrinigdo had been resurected and there was nothing that Zelgadis Greyweres or Lina Inverse could do. In the two hundred year since Shabrinigdo had been reborn the Gabriev line, the bearers of the Hikari no Ken had died out. And the famous sword had been lost along with the last descendant of the Gabvriev line more then fifyty years before. Without the Hikari no Ken Lina couldn't cast the Giga Slave, the spell she had long ago used to destroy the Ruby Eyed one before. But the Giga Slave had been seals away and Lina's most powerful spell Laguna Blade had proven to be powerless against the Dark Lord. So now the only option to the had was to run. Which was what had lead Zelgadis to be walking about in the middle of the night. Outside of the old Inn he and Lina had chosen to stay at. Although he was over two hundre years old, Zelgadis had not changed much phyically. He only appeared to be around twenty and his face still retained the boyishness of youth. But his eyes were not those of a boy.. They were the eyes of a person who had seen too much of the world, eyes bereft of all hope and warmth at the moment Zelgadis sighed as he glanced up at the second story window that wsas Lina's beroom. With a murmured word he floated up to the darkened pane and glanced inside. At first he thought Lian had gone to bed, but with the pale moonlight shining through the window, he saw her move a shadow against the depper shadows. Lina openeded her window..
"What do you want Zel?" she asked in a tired voice as the Chimera climbed into her room and sat on her window seal.
"I came to check on you. You seemed so distant lately." Lina sighed and sat down against the wall hugging her knees to her chest.
"I'm tired Zel." The red head murmured. "I'm tired of runing, I'm tired of fighting." Lina looked up at Zelgadis with tears gathering in her crimson eys. "I'm tired of losing the people I love. Look at what happened to Val and Firia." Lina chocked back a sob as she thought of her two friend sthat had died in the failed attempt at trying to prevent the resurection of Shabrinigdo.
Lina, Zelgadis, Firia and Val landed lightly outside the ruins of Sairaag. Firia gasped as she
watched Shabrinigdo rip Flagoon, the holy tree up by it's roots and rip in to pieces. Firia's
eyes swan with tears and Val wrapped a arm around her shoulders offering silentl comfort to
her. The reborn Ancient Dragon shook his head mounrfully at the sight of the once beautiful
Sairaag reduced to rubble once more.
"It seems this city is forever cursed to be knocked down." Val murmured and Lina nodded her
eyes hard.
"Enough of this." She growled and stalked forward. Lina begain to glow slightly as she checked
the clasps on her daemon's blood talismons making sure the ruby colored gems were firmly
clasped to her wrist and such. "Yo Shabrinigdo!!!" Lina screamed and the Ruby Eyed Lord froze
and turned slowly to look at the small sorceress.
"Who dares to address me?" Shabrinogdo challneged his voice rumbling like thunder.
"I do ya ungly crab!!!" Lina screamed back and she softly begain to chant the spell for the
Laguna Blade
A mere component of the Lord of Nigthmares
Lina screamed the last words as the power coursed through her body and she aimed the black
blade ready to striek Shabrinigdo down.. But when she reliesed the spell it shattered against
the Dark Lord and his omonious laughter filled the suddenly deathly quiet battlefield.
"Foolish child. You use the gift that I bestowed upon the Mauzko to cast your spell. It Is
not storng enough to defeat me!' with a twist of once of his many apendages Shabrinigdo cast a
spell and the daemon's blood talismons shattered and a golden tinckling laughter filled Lina's
mind for the breifest of seconds.
"You have become too dependant on my my daughter, and must now fly on your own." A chiding
female voice filled Lina's mind and she felt all the power drain form her. Lina blinked
comepletely at a lose and didn't see the spell Shabrinigdo cast. Zelgadis did however and with
his speed he tgrabbed Lina in a flying tackle while Val and Firia transformed into their dragon
forms and attacked Shabrinigdo. Zel cradled Lina to his chest lightly as he ran a fair distance
form the battlefield and laid Lina gently on the ground. He turned just in time to see Val get
struck down by Shabrinigdo. Firia's scream of rage echoed as she swooped down and caught Val,
who has reverted to human form, before he hit the gorund. Lina shakily sat up.
"She left me Zel. I heard L-sama, she said I had to learn to fly on my own." Lina whispered and
cried out as she saw Val and Firia land nearl them. Val was covered with countless wounds and
when Firia reverted to her human form Lina noticed she was in just as bad condition. Fziria
laid Val on the ground and craddled his broken body against her own.
"Please Val be okay." The Gold dragon begged sobbing as she brushes some of Val's blood stained
aqua colored hair back from his forehead.
"Firia." Val whispered painfully opening his eyes and gazing at his the one person he had truly
loved. "I...." Val coughed slightly blood trickling down his chin. "I love you." Val's golden
eyes seemed to dim. "Firia where are you?" his hand searching blindly for her own. Firia
grasped his hand in a tight grip and brought his blooded hand to her cheek staining the pale
white flesh with his crimson blood
"I'm right here Val, hold on okay?" Firia asked with a forced smile. She looked up at Zel and
Lian her blue eyes shining. "Zel grab Lian and run for it., we will distract Shabrinigdo, just
get out of here."
"But Firia!" Lina protested..
"Do it!" Firia cried and shock her head so hard her tears flew form her face. "Don't..don't let
our death be in vain please! Please!" Firia stared at Zelgadis pleading and he nodded picking
Lina up.
"Thank you his whispered and ran away at top speed.
"Fiiiiirrriiiaaa!!!!" Lina screamed fighting against Zelgadis' unmovable hold. Firia looked
down at Val and gently kissed him noticing that his body was deathly still.
"Soon we'll be together again my love." Firia whispered holding her dead lover close and
whispered a spell brokenly in a long dea language. With a fierly explosion, Firia Ul Copt died
along with her lover. The fire rocked the ground for miles and thus gave her frineds enough
time to escape.
Could releiase understanding upon the world
Frozen into the dark knife of annijilation
With our power, with our essance
Together, we can destory all who cross our path
Spirits of the Godsm deliver your smiting blow
Laguna Blade!
Lina was only dimly aware of Zelgadsi gently hugging as if affrain that she would shatter like a porcelean doll.
"Shhhh Lina, don't please." Zel whispered as he wiped her tears form her cheeks soflty.. Lina blinked rapidly and looked up at Zel. She tried not to notice the burning pain and tears shining in his eyes. It made her shamed to stare at him, to know that she was causing him such pain.
"He's so storng, I don't know what I would have done through all these centuries if he wasn't there for me." Lina thought to herslef as she just once allowed herself to enjoy the feel of Zelgadis' arms around her. For she knew it was a fleeting thing and that in the morning he would be his old, cold, abrupt self.. And that too shamed her, to think that she was so dependant on him and that she didn't even have the courage to tell him how she felt.
"it's times like this that I wish Amelia was still around." Zel whispered wryly and Lina stiffened.. She had been right, Zel did love Amelia, even after all this time.
"So you do love her ne?" Lina asked a barely stiffled sniffle in her voice. Zelgadis blinked taken aback.
"What?" He asked pulling back slgithyl to stare down at Lina in surprise.
"I always thought you had a thing for Amelia." Zelgadis' eyes bugged out slightly
"Whaaaa?" he said confounded. "I ddn't love Amelia! At least not like you think. Sure I lvoed her like a younger sister...."
"But you just said you wished she was here....."
"I wish she was here to cheer you up." Zel said firmly. "She always managaed to lighten a situation with her perpetual perkiness." Zel's eyes filled with pain and an ancient longing. "I just want you to be happy." Lina swallowed and pulled her walls around her heart closer to her.
"I don't think that is posslble Zel." Lina stood up her eys downcast and her hair falling into her eyes. "Tomorrow I am going to fight Shabrinigdo again.. I can't let Val and Firira's death go unavenged and I can't just sit back and let Shabrinigdo take over the world. Not after everything we fought for.."
"But you'll die!" Zelgadis cried. "Even Laguna Blade wasn't enough kill him!" Lina closed her eyes.
"Then I die, but I can't sit back and do nothing Zel." Zelgadis swallowed the lump within his throat
"Lina...."
"Please Zel stop." Lina looked at Zelgadis with devistauted eyes. "I want to end this once and for all." Zelgadis' eyes hardened.
"No you want to die.."
"There is no death more honorable then for your friends." Lina quirped.
"That is utter bullshit and you know it." Zelgadis snarled as he stalked over to Lina. "You can't live with the ghosts of the past Lina! Open your eyes and see the people who are still here and alive. The people who care for you."
"The people who love you." Zelgadis added mentally. Lina smiled mirthlessly.
"I see only you Zel and even then I don't even know if you care." Lina's voice was heavy with bitterness.
"Not care?' Zelgadis cried as he backed away affrain to touch her lest he shake her in frustration. "Not care? You little fool! Of course I do, you actually thought I didn't? That it wouldn't shatter me if you died? That I wouldn't care?" Lina looked at the enraged Chiemra and shivered as she saw how angry her thoughtless words had trully made him. He was trully terrifing when he was angry. Lina squinted and noticed that he was actually glowing with a pale blue aura he was so angry. She swallowed suddnely afraid and unsire of this new Zel. Zelgadfis bit back a curse as fear filled Lina's wide eyes and abruptly pushed by and and walked out the door before he did something her really would regret all the while cursing in every language he knew. Lina blinked and slowly and bonelessly sank to her knees.
"Oh L-sama what am I going to do.." she asked brokenly, and as she expected, no answer came. Lina sat in the dark of her room for a long time and finally made up her mind. She climbed to her feet and wiped the tears form her cheeks.
"Stop crying." She growled to herself. "Crying solves nothing, it won't bring back anyone, ir's pointless." Lina choked on a sob as she stuffed her clothes into a bag and walked over to her window. It would be better if she left this way lest Zelgadis see her trying to sneak off. With a weary sigh Lina jumped outt he window and cast Raywing. With luck she would reach the battleground where she and the others had faced Shabrinigdo by morning......
Zelgadis steeled his resolve and knocked on Lina's door.
"Lina, I need to tell you something." Zel whispered swallowing. This was it, he was finally going to tell her how he felt...if only she would open the door! "Lina please, let me in." Zel said surprized to hear the pleding tone in his voice. Zelgadis knocked on Lina's door for nearly five minutees and finally got tired and tunred the knob; his blood froze. It was unlocked, and he knew for a fact that Lian never left her door unlocked. Zelgadis rushed in hald affirad to find Lina dead but instead was only greeted by a empty and barren Inn room. His eyes raked over the bed obviously unslept in and he noted the open window.
"She wouldn't!" he cried as he ran to the window. "She did!" Zel leapt out the window and landed nimblely on the ground and raced off as fast as his daemon speed would let him; he /had/ to get to her!
Lina sighed as she walked towards the towering form of the Ruby Eyed Shabrinigdo.
"Yo Shabby!" Lina shouted and the daemon lord turned around slowly.
"Back again you foolish mortal?"
"Yeah and I'm going to kick your ass form here to Seyrunne!" Lina shouted.
"Lina!" Zelgadis cried inally catching up to her. Shabrinigdo would have sneered if he was in human form, but instead he chuckled, a terrifing sound.
"The two of you together even in the end, how touching." Shabrinigdo tossed a spell at the two and Zel grabbed Lin aand tried to get her out of the way but the spell still brushed her lightly and she screamed..
"Zel why are you here?" Lina asked her eyes tightening with pain.
"Baka na, as if I would let you face Shabrinigdo alone?" Zel asked panting slightly as he ran away trying to draw Shabrinigdo's fire. Zelgadis desperately tried to dodge the relentless onslaught of Shabrinigdo's spells. One particualar blood-red blast caought him strait on and he was thrown through the air and hit the ground with a resonding crack.
"Ze...Zel!" Lina called weakly as she stumbled to her feet and tried to crawl/walk over to the Chimera. Zelgadis coughed and felt his mouth not surprized to find blood staining his fingertips and his eyes closed slowly. Lina collapsed next to Zelgadis and clumisly supported him half dragging him into her her lap and finanly settled for cradling his head in her lap.
"Come on Zel, don't give up on me now." Lina begged shaking ther Chimera. "Baka na, why'd you do something so stupid." Lina cried. "I'm not worth dying for!" Zelgadis painfully opened his eyes and glared up at Lina.
"Think again Lina Inverse." He growled weakly. "You are worth everything and more....." Zelgadis' voice grew faint. And Lina was only dimply aware of his hot, sticky blood covering her legs and puddling on the gorund.
"So much blood," she thougth hysterically. "How can a body hold so much blood?" Zelgadis tried to laugh and it turned into another spasm of coughing.
"So stupid. I was so stupid, and proud.." he said, bitterness coloring his words. "I should have told you Lina befroe this....so stupid." Lina leaned closer so that she could hear him. Zelgadis' voice was a mere raspy whisper. "You thought I didn't care for you Lian, think again." Zelgadis looked at Lina with tortured eyes and she trully did look at him and saw all the pent up longing and love burning in his eyes.
"Oh Zel....I never knew." Lina breathed. Zelgadis smieled mirthlessly
"That was the point, you weren't supposed to know." Lina squeezed her eyes shut and brushed the blood from Zel's face, staining his pale, ashes blue cheeks with more of his blood. "Lina swear..swear that you won't give up. Survive please." Lina sobbed and laid her face against Zel's her tears mixing with blood.
"I swear." Zelgadis smiled briefly and slowly exhaled, his chest rising and falling no more. Lina crawled out fomr under Zelgadis and gently laid his arms over his chest. "I'll survive Zel, I promise." Lina leaned over and kissed Zelgadis's cheek and stood up. Her legs trembled and nearly gave out on her but she clenthed her teeth and marshelled her strength and walked forward. Lina grimly walked on towards Shabrinigo the blood of Zelgadis still dripping form her hands and clothes. Lina looked up at the sky and closed her eyes as the over-caste sky finally begain to rain. Lina felt the gentle rain caress her face washing away Zelgadis' blood and stared down at her right hand. She noted that blood of the one person who had always been there for her, the one who had never gave up on her. The blood of her love, the one who had waited too long to tell her. Her strenth, her piller, her friend. Lina curiously stared at the crimson lifeblood and suddely clenched her hand close, her nails digging into her palm cutting the skin. And with her blood mixing with Zelgadis' she begain to chant.
"Crimson blood falls
Tears flow like the rain
The pain of loss fill me"
Lian bit her lip as the hollwoness with in her seemed to fill with power
"To these I pledge myself
So that all may be avenged."
Lina held her hands together, her fingers touching forming a circle and a clear crystal orb hovered in front of her. Lina reached out her bloodied hand and touched the orb and it slowly turned to crimson the color covering it like blood.
May the blood of my beloved
Spell death to those who
Threaten my world"
Lina paused not sure of the spell's name. Her mind and heart screamed for death and blood yet her soul fought against those urges. Lina knew that is she let her lust for revenge overwhelem her, then she would become just like Shabrinigdo, a monster. Lina let the energy disapate knowing that she had cast the wrong spell.
"I shouldn't be dwelling on death but life." She thought to herself as she allowed the rain to wash Zelgadis' blood form her.
"Rain falls to the earth
Spreading life in it's wake.
For those who came before me
And for those that will come
Long after I am dust in the wind.
I call upon the power of
The mother to all
To help me vanquish
This evil.
Amegin!!!!"
Lina held the shining silver ball in front of her and it flew into the air exploding into millions of shining silver drops and everywhere is touched it brough back life. But when thesilver raindrops touched Shabrinigdo they burned and with a unearthly scream the Dark Lord collasped overwhelemed by the pure essance of life. Lina stop there as Shabrinigdo fell and the emptiness inside her seemed to almost swallow her. She felt odly nothing at the death of Shabrinigdo, instead she fel tired and cold, empty. Lina wearily walked over to Zelgadis and stared down at him nothing that she once ruined down he lay one was now blossoming and green. "Life has come back to the earth." Lina murmured as she stood in silver rain and watched the golden sun rise and break through the clouds. The rain ended and after the rain there stood only the future. Lina swallowed and forced herself to face that future, it was hers and she had to acdept it. Both the good and the bad. But somehow she knew that the rain would always come and wash away the evilness and dispair leaving only life and rebirth in its wake. After all, what came after the rain?