He moved from his worn out path and towards one belonging to one of his long-time best friends. Gourry saw Zel's determination in his eyes, he opened his mouth to speak about what he is going to do but...
"I already know Zel." Gourry did it for him, smiled weakly.
The shaman sorcerer return the gesture and nodded his head once, thanking him for his understanding. He walked from him and towards Lina, he knelt beside her, and gives her a brief, butterfly kiss on her warm lips, he observed her serene heartshaped face.
"I'm sorry love, but just in case....if I don't make it, Lina." sadly explaining to her for his informal action.
Filia, Sylphiel, and Gourry saw and heard him, feeling an array mixtures of sorrows and hopes. His best friend sat up, slowly and carefully so not to tear any freshly healed wounds.
"You have to Zel...she truly loves you and I know, everybody knows, that you do too. Do it for both Lina and yourself..." Gourry mustered out the encouraging words.
Zel lifts his head, slightly looking at his direction. He watched Sylphiel knelt behind her swordsman, her arms wrapped around him, hugging him, Gourry's left hand steadied him while his right hand gingerly placed unto her skillful hands.
They really truly love each other. he thought as he continue to look at the two soulmates.
"Gourry-dear is right, Zelgadiss. Do it for your childrens' future." Sylphiel couldn't help buy to add that encouraging bit of info from a visionary dream she had months back, hoping that it give him enough inner strength and ammo to strike at this awful opponent.
Her words of hope worked. The two ladies and mercenery saw his visible eye stimulated faith and vigor, yet they have fear in their hearts that even though he could kill off the psycho, he may not be able to be physically present to rejoice with his main reason, Lina.
"Just make sure you come back alive, otherwise Lina herself will hunt you down in the afterlife for not letting her have the fun. And Sylphiel, Amelia, and I will be more than happy to help her with the plan." Filia wanted to scare him enough that he'll be double sure he comes back alive and well.
He looked at Filia with an arched eyebrow. There was a moment of silence as his thoughts were playing images of how it could even be possibly done if he's dead. He chuckled to silently to himself, knowing how persistant Lina Inverse is, never gives up and always get her "man" whether be humans, monsters, mazukos, dragons, Dark Lords, even evil gods, may it be female or male.
"Thank you all for your inspirations, your kindness, and your help. See you later, ne?" Zel lied, he knows he can't come back to them...to his Lina. He also didn't want to say good-bye since the two small words might have his friends hold him back.
With that he got up, looked at the couple and the golden dragon, then took a last glance at the unconsious sorceress maiden. He walks a couple paces, he then stopped, his lithe body slightly turns around, his lips, softly smiling as he faces them, and did his own little victory sign. He turns back around and continued to walk towards his destination where the other four Slayers and Hallis are at. He closes his eyes, lifted his wrists midway between his cloak's clasps and his lower abdomen, aligning the talismans as he vividly remembers how Lina would do so, the blood red orbs glowed as he begins to chant.
"Lord of the Darkness and the Four Worlds, I call upon You, Grant me all the Power that You possess!" The Demon's Blood glowed steadily, his tongue were ready to cast his Ra Tilt, however, both mind and heart are beginning to recite differently.
"AMELIA, AEZ, VAL, XELLOS ....LEAVE NOW." he shouted out as he felt he was close enough for them to hear.
They obeyed as they can pratically see his aura illuminating brightly. They ran back to the protected area. Xellos' eyes shot open as he continued to watch Zelgadiss' aura glimmered blue, red, and black. Hallis turns around at the chimera, he snickered as he thought what he could do to Zel since he is still to weak to even cast another powerful Astral spell, he didn't even see the sorcerer's aura much less Xellos' facial expression of shock.
"Miss Sylphiel, Amelia, Filia-chan...cast your protection barrier. Aez, Val-kun... Ray Wing us out of here...Quickly now..." he barked out his demands.
".......?"
"Huh?" they all looked at him as if he lost his marbles...more than his usual batch.
"DO IT NOW!!" He lifted his staff and meditates to muster as much strength he has.
They hesitated. Xellos felt their unsureness, he sighs and turns to face them.
"Zel-kun is not using the Ra Tilt." he turns back around and meditates again, this time his red jewel on his wooden staff glowed.
"He's going to use a spell that is more effective and even more powerful."
They felt his uneasiness in his voice....if he's worried about that....their eyes widened and quickly obeyed his orders. The priest used his staff to strenthen their powers.
I didn't even know that he knew that spell. Hmm...what other secrets do you keep, Zel-kun? he felt the energy growing heavily around the chimera.
"Here it comes, brace yourselves." Aez stated, he too can feel his cousin's power growing immensely.
Zelgadiss felt that now he is ready to end this battle and to save his Lina. He stops a good hundred of meters away from the laughing, egotistical maniac. He chants low enough, the deadly words that were repeatly used over and over by the Dramatta.
"Darkness beyond twilight, Crimson beyond blood that flows, Buried in the stream of Time is where your Power grows. I pledge myself to conquer, all the foes who stands, against the Mighty Gift, bestowed on my unworthy hands. Let the fools who stand before us be destroyed by the Power you and I possess.....I love you Lina...." he breathed in those last four words.
Hallis' slanted eyes broaden at the sudden jolt of power coming from the mystical swordsman. He didn't plan this to happen, he knows that the foolish chimera is going to use a strong spell... an Astral attack, he even knew that there was a very good chance that he might even use his wife's talismans to amplify it. He wasn't expecting this twist of fate. His feet stuck into the ground as his mind continually struggles to grasp this hole in his carefully laid out plan.
"DRAAGGGOON SSLLAAVVVEE!!!"
Unfortunately, it was too late for him to even open his escape route, he took too long in pondering the imperfections of his plan. A tremendous, giant, red and black pillar of raw energy came directly towards him. The floating crew were astounded when they witness the larger-than-Lina's-amplified-Dragon-Slave spell.
"NOOOO!!!!! IMPOSSIBLE!!! YOU WEREN'T SUPPOSE TO KNOW THAT SPELL!!!!!" frozen and terrified at the realization that both he and his plan failed. Those were his final words. There was a massive explosion as the black spell hit its doomed, main target ....along with its weakened caster.
"ZZZEEELLLLL!!!!"
"OOOHH GREAT CEPHIED......NOOOOO!!!!"
"ZZELLGAADIISSSS!!!!"
The entire team, with the exception of Lina and Xellos, screamed as they saw the still developing, monstrous globe engulfed their beloved and succumbed hero.
"Wa..WATCH OUT!!!" Val pointed out the many debris, boulders, logs, and flames ready to hit their bubble barrier.
Amelia, Sylphiel, Filia and Xellos rapidly recasted stronger Protection shield and Val and Aez reinforced the Ray Wing bubble. They were hit, but the collision was far too strong. The Slayers-in-the-bubble were thrown up far and high in the air from their spot.
"AAAAHHHH!!" the crew screamed, except Lina when they felt the hefty impact.
"Aez...Amelia...Val....Ray Wing us to a safe distance before this sheild falls apart!" Xellos ordered.
"Filia and I will give you whatever strength we have left." feeling their bodies and energy weakened.
Just before they could nod yes, the shield collapsed. They are falling rapidly to the ground.
"RAY WING!!"
The orders were rearranged as Slyphiel and Amelia carried Filia, Val and Aez grabbed the passed-out Gourry, and Xellos caught hold on Lina. They landed aruptly on a safe patch of a small plateu. With all their energies tapped, exhaustion took over, the princess, the born-again ancient dragon, the chimera's ward, and the helpful mazuko passed out. Filia and Sylphiel, wearily yet worriedly ran to each one them and check out for any injuries.
"It seems that they are fine but they have drained all their powers, they just need to rest, even that Namagomi need to sleep." Filia talked to the nodding Sairagg maiden, both stood up.
Then they heard someone shifting....they looked at the direction of the sound. It was the blond swordsman of Light. He moaned, his blue eyes open slowly, he starts to sit up. The girls went to his side.
"Are you alright, Gourry-dear?"
"Yeah, I'm fine, just feel a little sore from my shoulder. Better check on my lil' sister." he rubbed his sore head.
Filia got up and took a couple of steps to where Lina is lain, she knelt beside her and casted spell to examine any internal injuries. She smiled as everythings checks out well.
"She's doing fine."
"And the others?"
"Amelia had a couple of scratches that were easily healed, however her and everybody else is resting." Sylphiel answered his question.
"Mmmm...."
The three people saw their ruby leader stirring. Her eyes fluttered opened and saw it was getting dark.
"Wwh...at happened?....mmmh, I feel like I had one of Zel's Mono Volt." she groaned and sat up. Her hands held her head, feeling a little dizzy, she decided best to lie back down.
"Lina! You're awake!.... But Xellos said you'll knocked out for hours!" Gourry spoke the obvious.
"......?"
"It must of happened from the amplified Dragon Slave's blast. Probably she broke free from that spell and knocked her back into consciousness." Filia theorized.
".......?!"
"Huh?" Lina blinked, the info had awaken her senses. She sat back up and looked around her surroundings, her mind is slowly grasping the information.
"What Dragon Slave? I don't remember casting an amplified one!" she asked as she slowly raised herself up.
They didn't really want to answer her question so they sadly looked at her instead. She didn't see their dismal expression, she massaged her back and neck muscles but she felt like there's something out of place, as if one of her hands and both wrists are lighter somehow, like she's missing something....
"Ano....." the tiny sorceress looked down at her bare hands. Nothing out of the ordinary. She then turned her hands, palms down and her garnet eyes scanned down towards her wrists. Her eyes widened even more when she checks her belt and her collar.
"Wait....where's my talismans?" she looked at her unhappy friends.
".....?" her eyes then moved towards Xellos, Amelia, Val, and Aez, all unconsious and back at the other three sitting near to the slumbering crew. She briskly walks closer to her injured brother.
"Gourry...what happened to your arm and shoulder? What's going on?" she looked at the surroundings again.
"Where's Hall....Oh my gosh...Where's Zel?" her worriedness immediately replaced her confusion.
She glances at her awaken friends to get her response, but all she got were bowed heads.
"Lina, please listen....Zel used your talismans...." Filia gently tries to explain only to be cut off by Lina.
"Where's Zelgadiss and why has he taken the Demon's Blood t..." she stopped.
"...amplified Dragon Slave..." she whispered as she remembers what the blond priestess said before. She froze, her knees hit the ground as they gave way once she answered her own questions.
Her friends became more concerned when it seems that the Bandit Killer had stopped breathing. She let out a loud gasp as more unwanted answers came into her thoughts and heart. She shook her head....
"No...no .....NO! It's not true!...." she quickly stood up and starts to walk, stumbling a couple of times. Her paces changed into running, running back to where the battle was at.
"LINA!!"
The two blondes and the brunette ran after her, leaving their sleeping comrades safely behind. Gourry felt the pain again but he didn't care, the real pain will be coming from the scarlet heroine, his chest tightens, his heart clenched, already preparing for her heartwrenching mourning. He has to catch up with his baby sister, he has to be there for her, he's her guardian and her brother, however, he felt he has failed her.
The forest scencery became thinner and more gloomy until it became destituted of anything alive. They finally reached her, they stood a couple of feet behind her as she halted at an edge, she blurringly saw a massive and severly burnt, barren crater. Tears shed from her watering eyes, trailing down to her paled cheeks. Once again, her knees collapsed, and continued to stare at it. The embers glowed a dull orange red as grey and white ashes showered the surroundings, delicately falling on Lina, Gourry, Slyphiel, and Filia. Lina buried her face into her trembling hands, her friends, bowed their heads, and sobbed along with the soulfully crushed girl.
Hi Minna-san!! I just....Eeeepp! ::quickly ducking fresh and rotten vegetable:: What did I do?!.....::dodged flamers:: Wait....does it have to do with Zelgadiss?..YIKES! ::dodging many tomatoes and a couple of fireballs, hides behind a large lazy-boy chair:: I'm sorry y'all.....::felt the audience's hatred and starts to gang up:: WHOA!!! HOLD UP EVERYONE!!! ::waves a white flag:: THIS IS NOT THE LAST CHAPTER!!!! I still have a good couple of two-three chapters to type out...so please don't hurt me....otherwise, how will you find out about the ending? Please bear with me....I'm trying my best to hurry this fic up...so.....
reviews? comments? questions? please contact me...thank you for your patience. Adios!
~~Miss "L"