Now outside a far distance from Mirus the group still had a day or two's walk to get back to town. Lina almost wanted to go check out the Mirus ruins a little more closely but because of that demon guy that kidnapped them she figured it would be best not to.
"So do you think that demon thing was the person that is after Lina Inverse that's causing her to keep a low profile?" Gavin asked as they started to make their way back to Colmon, the town that they had been at before they were kidnapped.
"In all honesty, I don't think so. Now that creepy guy hadn't got us off guard then we could have probably kicked his ass with no trouble. I doubt that's the reason why this worlds Lina Inverse is in hiding. And besides didn't Smu say that the enemy after this world's Lina Inverse would know the difference between me and her?" Lina trekked forward, until she realized that she didn't exactly know where they were or how to make their way back to town. So instead she stepped back and let Zelgadis lead.
"But I think a more interesting question would be, who is this masked person that saved us? Who is he or she and why did he or she help us?" Zel looked over to Lina who seemed to be thinking along the same lines.
"Also how did they know that we were trapped and where did they go after they helped us? I really wish I knew. We don't have a clue on the identity of that person. But something tells me that this darkly cloaked person might have a connection to this world's Lina Inverse."
Near Smu Bishop's store the darkly cloaked Lina Inverse walked out. Smu had explained everything that he knew concerning the dimension travelers. But one thing was for sure; she was a bit concerned with their lives. Because of her sudden disappearance and the traveling Lina's appearance, they were attracting a lot of Lina's old enemies who still who still wanted to settle the score.
Smu had told her everything that he knew about the traveling people. Smu didn't know exactly what they wanted, just that they were looking for her. Now what could they want from me? Maybe I should go pay them a visit and find out for myself. Lina took a swig from her bottle before putting back on her facemask and taking off.
Back in-between the Mirus and Colmon, Lina and company had decided to stop and make camp. They had been walking for the most part of the day and they still hadn't made it back to town and it was already dark out. So they just decided to make camp and call it a night. The watches were decided in this order, Lina had first watch, Zelgadis had second and Garry had last. Everyone was tired from all the walking so once they went to bed they were fast asleep. Which left Lina bored and the only one awake. Lina wasn't exactly sure it was a good idea for Garry to take last watch, because if he was like Gourry then chances are he'd fall asleep anyway. Not that Lina was going to dwell on it much though, because if worse came to worse Zel or Zelgadis would be awake if something happened. Lina knew from previous experiences on how aware Zel's senses were due to him being a chimera.
A few hours went by and Lina sat idly poking at the fire. She found the flames mesmerizing, the way that they flicked in the darkness. Because she was so bored, she had been concentrating on the fire so much that she wasn't even aware on what happened around her. Though it was doubtful that even if she was aware that she would have noticed that someone was near camp and watching her. But the watcher made itself known and entered camp.
Lina sprung into action and was in a battle ready pose. That is until she recognized the stranger to be the same one that had saved them earlier that day.
"Who are you?" Lina dared ask the darkly clocked figure. The stranger said nothing and merely stared at Lina.
Before Lina could ask the person another question the stranger sighed and took off her mask and hood. "Actually I'm you." And Lina was there standing face to face with other self. "Oh and if you are curious you guys were the people I was following. And sorry about that whole incident at Mirus."
Hours later early in the morning everyone sat around the dead fire staring at the newly introduced Lina Inverse. And just like the problems concerning the same names, the Lina Inverse of this world was now for the time being called Rena instead.
"Why were you following us?" Lina glared at her double.
"Why were looking for me?" Rena asked in a playful but sad tone.
"I asked you first."
Rena sighed and looked around the forest. Since she had revealed her identity to Lina last night she had put back on her hood and mask. "Well I originally was going to Lenforth with intensions of following a person that I thought to be an old enemy of mine that I had thought I had killed. But when I got to Lenforth I was surprised to see an exact double of myself in the town square."
"You mean you were the darkly cloaked person I saw in the town square staring at me!" Lina exclaimed.
"Yes that is correct. I decided it wouldn't good if I was to introduce myself with so many people around so I went off. I followed you all from then on curious to what it is that you were up to. It didn't take me to discover that you were looking for me, but I still don't know what your purpose is." Rena brought her eyes back to meet Lina's.
"Alright I'll explain but it's a little complicated. First of all you're aware that some us are from another dimension right?"
"Yes and the others are from this one."
"Well the reason we were sent to this dimension is to see if we can pass a test by completing some task in this dimension. If we succeed then we are brought back to our own dimension to go and complete another task like this one in another dimension. And if we pass the second task we then do a third and final task. What we are getting out of this is the chance to read a very ancient book with a lot of magic spells and magic information in it."
Rena raised an eyebrow. "That doesn't explain why you needed to seek me out."
"Well we don't know what these tasks are that we need to complete. The only information we were given was that to complete the tasks we need to find this dimension's versions of ourselves. So I'm guessing that the task has something to do with all of you." Lina sighed. She was a bit annoyed that she was a on a quest where she didn't actually know what the quest really was.
Rena pondered what Lina had told her. She found the whole situation interesting though she had no idea on what she would have to do with any of it. "What happens if you don't complete the task?"
"Well we have to stay here until we do that unless we pass the test or one of us dies."
"What happens if someone is killed?"
"We fail the test and are all brought back alive and unharmed."
Rena raised an eyebrow. If they don't get the task done they could be stuck here for a very long time. That wouldn't be so safe for them. In fact they are in more danger after every moment passes. Rena had far too many enemies that wanted her dead that were really powerful. Of course she wasn't worrying about the mortal ones. "So you have absolutely no idea what the task would be?"
"Not at all and if we complete it or fail it and are sent back we wont remember what we did in this dimension."
"But you are going to need our help to complete whatever this task is?"
"Looks that way."
"Well then all I can hope is that you complete the task quickly."
"Yeah sooner we pass the test the sooner we get back. But tell me why are you keeping such a low profile anyway?"
Rena sighed and looked around the forest again. It was so peaceful, so quiet. A peace that her life had been lacking for so long. Yet all she could do was gaze upon this sort of peace knowing that it was something that she could never have. "Very well then. I don't doubt that Smu has already told you that I've got an enemy after me. An enemy that easily knows the difference between you and me. Believe me this enemy is very dangerous, and could probably easily kill me. It's because of that that I've been keeping a low profile. Until I can think of a way to defeat him I have to stay in hiding. Though I'm pretty sure that it might be a feudal course of action. For all I know he could be very aware of where I am and I could still be in a lot of danger despite of my hiding." Rena sighed again still staring at the trees. She missed the way things were before he interfered with her life.
No one said anything to what Rena had said. They were very used to they way that Lina normally acted that they were thrown off by the way Rena was. She extremely serious where Lina wasn't and she was sad were Lina was more happy. It almost seemed like Rena was more like the way Zelgadis had been when Lina had first met him.
"So what are we going to do next?" Rena broke their thoughts.
"Well we were heading back to Colmon before you showed up, so I guess we should just continue our way over there and decide what to do next when we get there." Zel answer. And with everyone in agreement they continued their way back to town.
Many things went through Rena's head as they headed back to town. Lots of them memories of the past. It seemed only yesterday that she was a young traveling sorceress like Lina, but then at the same time it seemed like it was ages ago.
Rena was quiet even while everyone was talking. She didn't say much, she only answered a question if she was asked, otherwise she kept her mouth shut. It was hard to see under her mask and hood how deep in thought she was but they could tell. They all tried their best not to let anything bother them only Rena's depressive quietness was a bit unnerving.
"Rena, I one time sought you out to acquire an item you had." Zelgadis not caring about her mood asked bringing Rena out of her thoughts.
"Ah yes, you were seeking the statue that I had that contained the Philosophers Stone in it. I remember I sold it because I didn't know what the statue contain."
"How do know now that it had it in it?"
"Because I heard about the whole battle of the once pure but turned evil Rezo the red priest with his chimera cursed great-grandson. Did you seek out the stone for a cure or for revenge?" Rena looked him straight on with an emotionless expression.
"I guess I should have went for the stone for a cure but at the time I wanted revenge. I stopped Rezo and as a result he was killed and the stone was destroyed."
"But if you had been given the chance to do things different, would you?"
Zelgadis was quiet for a few moments. "Probably not, because of what I heard. If I hadn't done what I done Rezo might have very well resurrected Shabringdo like he was planning to."
"But what was the reason for you seeking me out now? I know the reason of our doubles from the other dimension, but what about you guys? What was your reason?"
"One of those reasons was to help our doubles. The other was that I heard a rumor that you might now have information or an item on how I could cure myself of my condition." Zelgadis tried to sound completely emotionless but it wasn't hard to see that he was hoping that she did have some good news for him.
"A way to cure you? At the moment I can't think of anything that I could say or do that could help you right now. Maybe a little later when I have had some time to think. I've seen and done a lot it's sometimes hard to remember everything."
Well that wasn't quite the answer that Zelgadis had been expecting but it wasn't exactly a bad turn of events.
So again they were back to the ever-silent Rena. Xellos and Zeros had chosen not to make any comments on Rena but they were both aware that they was something odd about her. She should be a physical carbon copy of Lina Inverse, but for some weird reason she wasn't on a spiritual level. She was both lacking and had more of an astral body. She looked and acting like a regular human, but she almost didn't seem human in a way. And because neither Xellos nor Zeros could think of any rational way to explain this they remained quiet.
They reached Colmon by nightfall and they were all starved and in need of food. So the first place they head was straight for the restaurant. Lina like Lina would normally do, ordered a large amount of food for her and her companions. And when the food came they all ate with exceptions of Rena. She just sat there drinking a glass of red wine.
"Miss Rena aren't you going to eat?" Ameria asked Rena offering her some food.
"Um no thanks. I um I'm not really feeling that well right now. I think I'll have something um later." Ameria didn't think anything of it and went back to eating herself. Rena sighed with relief. They were all so preoccupied with eating that they didn't notice the lack of creditability of what Rena had said. I can't let them find out. I'm going to have to be a little more careful. Especially around the monsters. It's been a long time since I've traveled with people. Rena mused as she took another sip of her wine.
Everyone went off to bed after dinner was eaten except for Rena. She decided to go and see Smu before any traveling decisions were made. It was pretty late and Rena was worried that maybe Smu had gone to bed or something, but fortunately for her he was up and waiting for her to come.
"You were expecting someone Smu?" Rena asked with a faint smile.
"I was waiting for you to come back! You didn't even give me the slightest clue where you were going." Smu lectured her.
"Well I went to go see my double."
"And?"
"And now I'm going to travel with them and help them complete this task they need to do. That and I wouldn't feel right about my old enemies attacking her just because she looks and acts like me."
"So basically you are doing damage control. Have you told them your secret?" Smu looked at her with a suspicious expression.
"No I haven't told them my secret..."
"Do you intend to?"
"No..."
"But Lina you do realize it's going to be hard for you keep that piece of information from them. You are going to have to be very careful."
"I'm well aware of that Smu. I might end having to tell them anyway. But for now I'm going to try my hardest to keep my secret. Though I'm certain that Xellos and Zeros suspect something..." Rena frowned at that thought. She was pretty sure that they suspected something. She wasn't sure if they actually knew anything but if they were suspicious then Rena was going to need to be extra careful. Even if they are only suspicious they will still be extra observant to see if I slip up. Though I'm surprised that they haven't voiced anything yet.
"Well if those two suspect something then you might have a problem. Have humans suspicious of you is one thing, but a monster... They have ways of finding out information that no knows..."
"Anyway Smu I just came to say good bye just in case I can't in the morning. I should probably get back to the inn before anyone notices anything."
"And go to sleep too?" Smu joked.
"I do sleep too Smu. Goodnight."
"Goodnight Lina."
As Rena left Smu's shop and headed back towards the inn she felt a strong sense that she was being watched. Rena carefully looked around her surroundings and scanned the area despite the darkness. Nothing out of the ordinary caught her eye so she just brushed it off as paranoia and continued on her way. Must be getting a little more jumpy in my old age. I've got to learn to relax sometime. Maybe I should go take a vacation sometime. Some place really hot and sunny. Rena thought shaking her head. Yes it did seem silly to think that she was being watched at that hour. It was really late and even though Smu had been up everyone else should be asleep in their beds. But she was being watched. Hidden from her view a man darkly cloaked like herself watched Rena with evil eyes and a twisted evil smile.