The sun was shining on Ohtori, promising yet another beautiful day. Lina walked to class in her normally confident manner, school bag slung over one shoulder.
"Good morning Lina-sama," a group of girls chorused.
"Morning," she waved back.
The group known as the SILs (Society for Idolizing Lina) watched her pass by with huge eyes. She was so confident, so self assured....even if she didn't have any curves. Just perfect for idolization. "She's so cool!!!"
And that was the way mornings tended to go.
"Morning."
"Morning." Lina greeted, walking into the classroom. She stopped at her row and frowned. Naga was sitting quietly at her desk, reading a book. The events yesterday must have really gotten to her.
"Hey bimbo!" Lina greeted, surely that would get her attention.
Nothing.
"I don't normally see you reading in class, what is it?"
Naga continued to read.
With a look of sadness, Lina turned to go.
thmp She turned back around at the sound of the closing book.
"This girl always loved this guy," Naga explained, holding the book in the air. "He rejects her, but she gets over it and finds someone new. When I first read it, I thought it was a stupid, naive little thing - not surprising, for very little can appease my great mind.... But now I recognize its brilliance!" she squealed, hugging the book to her chest.
Lina gave a small smile.
Naga smiled back, thank you.
"OHOHOHOO! I told you that we'd be together forever!" Naga glomped poor Lina. "Nothing will ever separate us OHOHOOOO!" She jumped onto Lina's back, who, by some miracle or another, was able to hold her.
"Will you stop that!?"
"Why Lina-kun?"
Lina sighed and lowered her head and embarrassment.
"Good morning," a shy girl with coiffed black hair said politely.
"If it cannot break out of its shell, the chick will die without ever being born," Zelgadiss' voice began. The empty council elevator went up one floor and the shadow of Luna leaning against the wall appeared as if it was always there.
"We are the chick. The world is our egg." Up another floor and Rezo's shadow appeared in the same matter.
"If we don't crack the world's shell, we will die without ever truly being born." Another level and Zelgadiss' shadow appeared between them. "Smash the world's shell." Together they entered the Council room.
"For the Revolution of the world!" The finished in unison.
"Have you all received your letters from End of the World?" Zelgadiss asked, sitting down and picking up his cards.
"Yes," Luna answered curtly, picking up her own hand.
"I have as well," Rezo said quietly.
"We've all gotten them then." Zel threw down a pair of cards. "According to this letter, Zangulus lost yesterday. The Bride is now engaged to the girl who won the Duel."
Luna frowned at her cards. Zel was probably cheating. "Is someone who's not even on the student council receiving these letters as well?"
"Who knows... but she does wear the Rose Seal." He flashed his own signet. "I saw it myself."
"Well who is she?"
"Lina Inverse," Rezo answered, studying his cards with his open eye. "She's new....causing quite a stir actually."
Zelgadiss leaned his head back. "A lovely young girl."
"Wait, someone we don't even know is just joining the Duels!? If this happens again I'll - "
" - What Luna?" Zel laughed. "Drop out of the game? Our letters are one way messages from End of the World. It is up to us to respond."
"Luna-sempai, don't forget that when we entered the Arena, the phantom castle did appear."
"I know..." she watched forlornly as Zel took the last of her cards. "Seeing that convinced me that I can't drop out now."
"Exactly." Zelgadiss laid the last pair of cards onto the table. "The letters are very specific. The one who wins the Duels and is engaged to the Rose Bride will enter the castle and obtain the power to revolutionize the world."
As Zel continued, Rezo obsessively wrote in his notebook, stopwatch in one hand. "And that is why we must fight."
click
"To think that we got assigned different rooms. I'm sorry little buddy OHOHOHOHOHO!!"
"It's alright." Lina sweatdropped. "Could you get off me now?" It was tiring work giving Naga piggy-back rides.
"I hear you have the East dorm."
"So?"
"OHOHOHO! Don't you know anything? That building hasn't been used in ten years!"
"Ten years?"
"Yup. I hear that it's haunted too. Cleaning it up should be perfect work for someone like you with no social life O~HOHOHO!"
"Oh you're such a good friend."
"Don't have to tell me twice." Naga obviously could not recognize sarcasm. She jumped from Lina's back and watched the smaller girl fall to the ground in exhaustion. "My room is in the South dorm, second floor. Come and see me if that big, mean haunted house scares you." And with a bounce and a jiggle, Naga was off.
"Yeah, I'll be there T_T;" Lina muttered from the ground.
"Well it looks alright from the outside," Lina murmured to herself. Actually, all of Ohtori's buildings where lovely so that didn't really mean much.
"Hello?" She opened the door. The lobby was pretty with cherry wood floors and a star-like chandelier. But where was all of the people? "My name is Lina Inverse." Uh, maybe no one had shown up yet.
She walked up the stairs to her new room. This must be it. She placed her hand on the doorknob and was assaulted by horrific visions - visions of a dark, decaying room with an oddly adorable rat nibbling on cheese. "Ten years..." Steeling her nerves, she pushed to door open -
Only to find the cleanest room humanly possible.
"Hellos Lina-sama." Sylphiel smiled and wiped her hands on her work pants.
"You....I, I thought this was a single." She sweatdropped at the hastily posted piece of paper reading 'Sylphiel Himemiya' under her own wooden name tag. "Wow, this place looks great. Sorry you had to do it on your own."
"I wanted to have it done for you by nightfall."
"I thought the rooms where just posted this afternoon..."
Sylphiel smiled and returned to her cleaning.
"Funny coincidence ne?" Lina placed some books on her new desk. "Us getting the same room and all."
"Oh it's not just a coincidence." She lovingly polished the mirrors. "It's always been a rule of the Rose Seal."
"I - can't uff say I follow you." Lina battled the law of physics as she attempted to cram all of her stuff into her closet.
"It's because I'm the Rose Bride."
"Bride?" Lina frowned a little and it was very unfortunate that she did so. For this allowed her opponent the opportunity to spit her belongings back at her. Gravity is a harsh mistress.
Gravity - 1
Lina Inverse - 0
"I must always be engaged to the current champion of the Duels."
"Are you sure?" Lina asked, voice muffled under her own junk.
After they had settled in a bit, they had seated themselves at the room's coffee table to drink the tea Sylphiel insisted on making. Sylphiel took a dainty sip from the delicate china.
"First of all, what's with that castle? And that sword... what kind of spell is that?"
Sylphiel replaced the cup onto the saucer with a soft click. "Mysteries."
"You mean that you don't know? If you don't know then - "
" - Tell me something," she looked up with her strangely ancient eyes. "Why do you wear a boy's uniform?"
"Uh...I like to."
She looked into her drink. "It's alright with me. Is our being here a problem for you?"
Lina thoughtfully stirred her tea. "I can't really say... wait, our?" It was then she heard it, a faint nibbling sound. "Eh?" She picked up the tea kettle and -
The creature looked up, a little nervous. What the hell was it? It was a crab-like creature with a little necktie and earring. It was cute in an abstract-fall-down-drunk-what-the-hell-is-wrong-with-you sorta way. It looked from the cookie it was hoarding to Lina and back again with ruby red eyes.
Lina sweatdropped and pointed to the...thing questioningly.
fond smile "This is Shabrinigdo, my friend Shabby-chan."
"You mean your pet."
"My friend."
Shabby-chan decided that the best way to save his cookie was to eat it all at once. He shoved the whole damn thing into his mouth and smiled at Lina - showing off multiple rows of teeth. "Shabrinigdo!" it said in a quick, deep voice. Of course swallowing a cookie whole is not the best of ideas, and Shabby-chan soon fell over due to the lack of air making it's way to his 'lil lungs.
Contrary to popular belief, Lina was not a cruel person. Even if the thing was strange, it was no slug! That is probably why she offered it the teaspoon of tea.
"Shaa," it sighed, washing the cookie down with the tea.
sweatdrop "Uh, I'm Lina Inverse, will you be my friend too?"
Shabby-chan grinned, showing off those wicked 'lil teeth. "Nigdo." Lina looked a little worried as it shook her finger with a tiny monstrous hand.
"Shabby-chan really seems to like you Lina-sama."
"Could you possibly lose that -sama?"
"But I'm engaged to you Lina-sama."
"That again. T.T;"
Lina held up her ringed hand. "What's the deal with this? Zangulus had one just like it."
"All of the Student Council has them. It's a Rose Seal, whomever wears that ring is marked as a Duelist. Now that you are the Victor, others bearing the Seal will come and challenge you to duels."
"You must be kidding! I don't plan to keep on fighting these dumb things!"
Sylphiel took another sip of her tea.
The room was dark, but he needed no light, his light was gone, stolen. Zangulus sat in quiet meditation inside the kendo room, eyeing the altar's elaborate sword with determination.
He drew the sword and ran through a few blows, imagining he was striking down an impudent red head.
swoosh Blood.
swipe Bleed.
thrust Die!!
He spun around, sensing someone behind him - his sword stopped inches from Zelgadiss' smiling face. "Oh...it's you Mr. President."
"Am I disturbing you, Mr. Vice President?"
He lowered the sword. "No. You are always welcome in my domain."
"Is the Kendo Team Captain going to fight the girl again?"
"Of course." His eyes narrowed and he squeezed the sword's hilt until his knuckles turned white. "That girl's engagement to the Bride is a mistake."
"I don't think so. The Bride is always to be engaged to the winner of the Duels."
"Enough!" He lashed out with the blade, never cutting Zel, but coming close enough to waiver his indigo hair. "The power to bring Revolution belongs to me; Sylphiel is mine. She will do as I command forever! That is what is written in my exchange diary."
sweatdrop "You.....keep an exchange diary?"
"I can't belive it." Lina glanced around the empty dining room. "It really is just me an that weird girl in the building."
"Shabrinigdo! Shabrinigdo!" Shabby-chan dashed into the room, bearing an important message.
However, Lina was eating. Please leave a message.
She paid no attention as he preformed an elaborate skit of a damsel in distress.
Mmmm, that's some good rice.
She paid no attention as he brandished a fork like a sword.
Damn good sauce too.
"Shabrinigdo!" he screeched, nibbling on her sleeve in frustration.
"Hey!"
"Nigdo! Nigdo!" he jumped from the table. "Nigdo!"
"Fine, fine," she muttered, giving a final, forlorn glance at her dinner as she followed him outside.
"Why Sylphiel? Why won't you do as I say?" He knew his voice was cracking, but he didn't care....
So was his heart.
"I'm sorry Zangulus. I'm engaged to Lina-sama now."
"I don't understand." He gently placed his hands on her shoulders. "Didn't you devote yourself to me entirely when we where engaged Sylphiel?"
"Yes." She turned her beautiful green eyes to the ground. "But that was in the past. Forget about me."
With a heartfelt sob, he dropped his hands in grief. There was only one way he knew to deal with grief. "You little bitch!" He cried, striking her to the ground. He could feel his entire body tremble with rage. "You're a total disgrace."
"No, you are." Lina stood in the doorway, Shabby-chan brandishing his fork at her feet.
"Good timing," he acknowledged as she went to Sylphiel's side. "Yesterday was a fluke, I only lost because you took me by surprise."
"Look buddy," she helped Sylphiel to her feet. "I only fought you the other day because of what you did to Naga. I don't really give a crap about this 'Rose Bride' stuff."
"Well I do." He felt his fists clench at his sides. "If you don't really care then you can have no objections. I'm afraid that the school's regulations are very strict; those who oppose the Council vanish from this campus."
"Shaa!!" Shabby-chan poked at his shoe with his fork. Unfortunately, Zangulus grew tired of this and simply squished the crab thing under his foot.
"...Fine. I duel you, tomorrow."
smile "In the Arena then." He spun on his heel and left.
"Shabrinigdo! Shabrinigdo!" Shabby-chan cried, bouncing up and down in indignation.
Sylphiel looked over at Lina. "Didn't you say you weren't going to fight any more Duels?"
"I don't have much of a choice. If I don't I'll get kicked out....wait! I'll just lose and that will end this whole mess!"
"Do as you please Lina-sama."
Shadow Girl A: Do you know? Do you know?
Shadow Girl B: Have you heard the news?
As the sun once again sets over Ohtori, the Shadow Play Club faithfully holds rehearsal.
Shadow Girl A is now wearing a cowgirl outfit, complete with hat and gun: It's time we settled this. BANG
B-ko clutches her side: You got me!! But that's ok. I lost on purpose ^_^
A: crash Oh, but brave hero....
B: Losing may be harder than you think.
A: Did you know that?
Together: It may be harder than you think.
Lina stood once again at the forest's door, but now with a renewed purpose....even if it was to lose. This time she didn't flinch as the water splashed her signet, wasn't startled when the gears within the lock began to turn.
The Absolute Destiny Apocalypse
Behind her, the fountains poured, filling the empty pools.
The Absolute Destiny Apocalypse
Mist surrounded the gate as it cranked and shifted into it's true form.
Birth records, Baptismal records, records of death.
Apocalypse
She took a moment to admire the enormous rose relief. So beautiful.....
The Absolute Destiny Apocalypse.
The Absolute Destiny Apocalypse.
Yes, the inside still held the countless roses.
And somehow that made perfect sense.
My own birth, absolute birth.
Apocalypse
She took a deep breath and began her ascension up the huge spiral staircase.
A shining place in a desert of darkness.
A gold-plated Shangri-La.
Day and Night turning on one another
Up and up she went, never pausing, never contemplating her strategy.
This felt right.
A time-plated paradise lost
On the Arena platform, Sylphiel - already in her 'princess' attire, raised her arm to a ninety degree angle. In the same moment that she moved it across her chest there was a golden flash of light an Lina's outfit was sufficiently upgraded.
She now wore ruby shoulder guards with streaming white tassels. The sleeves of her jacket now ended in large white cuffs with a red trim and finally four blood-red talisman appeared on her neck, wrists, and waist.
She didn't even pause, give any sign that she wasn't expecting the change.
The Darkness of Sodom
With another motion from the Bride, a short, white ruffled skirt - nearly identical to Sylphiel's - appeared under her jacket.
The Darkness of Light
Still nothing deterred her from her steady walk.
The Darkness of Distance.
Endless, endless darkness
She paused at the top of the stairs - the gate into the Arena.
The Absolute Destiny Apocalypse.
The Absolute Destiny -
Apocalyptic darkness
Sylphiel and Zangulus where already there, waiting. Sylphiel once again placed a green rose in his breast pocket and a white one in Lina's.
Apocalypse.
Revolution.
Revelation.
Evolution.
Solution.
Salvation.
"Do you remember what to do?"
"If you knock the rose from my chest I lose."
"Be careful," Sylphiel warned.
"Oh I will! It'd be dumb to get hurt in something I plan on losing anyway."
Zangulus readied his sword and waited.
"Oh Rose of the noble castle," Sylphiel preformed the same moves from the other day. "Power of Chaos that sleeps within me. Heed thyne master and come forth."
Despite her earlier attitude towards the spell, Lina found herself catching Sylphiel in the exact same manner Zangulus had, near kiss and all. "And harken unto me," she used her ringed hand to pull the complete sword from the Bride's chest. "The Power to Bring the World Revolution!" The nearby bells tolled - signaling the beginning of the battle.
"Hikari-O!" she cried, parrying his initial attack.
Celestial Age. Prehistoric sea.
She managed to briefly push him away, but that only gave her enough time to defend against his oncoming assault.
He wasn't holding back today.
Erosion. Accumulation.
He's crazy! His eyes had shrunk to small little dots, bordering the edge of sanity. His swings where wild, but too quick for her to gain any ground.
Three billion years. The birth of life.
"Gah!" Lina teered off balance.
The age of land.
"I've got you!" he happily exclaimed, arching his sword down.
Cabrion. Oldovian.
Glaring at him, she covered her rose with her free hand and jumped back from his blade.
Silurian. Denvonion.
"Admirable," he chuckled. "You under stand."
Lina looked at her hand in shock. But I -
DNA. Molecules.
"Living or dying doesn't matter!" he declared. "The one who loses their rose loses the Duel."
Bacteria. Colony Life.
She raised her sword in reply.
Triassic. Jurassic. Cretaceous.
clang He laughed at her attempt to hold her own as their swords locked.
Lycopodium. Selegienella.
Trilobites.
"That may be the Sword of Light. It may have been wielded by Gourry, but it holds no special power on its own."
Gastropodia. Belenmite.
"In the end, the sword must be wielded by a great swordsman."
Ammonite.
"Are you ready to witness my true power Lina Inverse?"
Sylphiel gasped as he brutally kicked the Victor, sending her tumbling down the Arena.
"Wha-what are you doing?" Lina coughed, holding her side.
"HOWLING SWORD!"
Rose of the sea. Lily of the sea.
Lina's eyes widened in horror as his sword emitted a wave of wind - moving at a sonic speed -
- Right towards her.
Apple of the sea. Bud of the sea.
She braced herself the best she could, but the impact of the wind still sent her flying backwards.
Angel of the sea. Mirror of the sea.
As she hit the walls of the arena, she heard a definite cracking sound.
Please let it be just the collapsing wall.
Doorway of the sea. Shimmer of the sea.
No!!! She was still going backwards!?? She - she -
Broke the entire wall?
Carboniterous. Permian. Palezoic.
Her free hand lashed out and miraculously caught a jagged piece of the floor, the rough stone cutting into her hand and nails. It was still better than a very long fall to her death.
Above her, Zangulus gloated, murder evident in his eyes.
You in the sea.
"Both the sword and Sylphiel belong to me. They are meant for Zangulus Saionji!" Not really caring about her predicament, he raised his sword high above his head, intent on striking her down.
I in the sea.
She was not going to lose to him! Fuelled by her renewed determination, her talisman began to glow a deep red. "Ra-Raywing!"
His sword contacted the Arena's side in the same moment she zoomed away. "What!?"
The Palezoic Era in my flesh.
She felt her knees scrape the smooth floor of the Arena. Safety. She wasn't going to lose! She clenched her fists as her signet began to flash.
Living on and on.
And as the ring glowed, something awakened within the castle.
Something noble.
Closer and closer to death.
A pillar of light leading strait to the castle surrounded the would be prince.
I can't lose.....
The endless story of the Palezoic.
As if hearing her plea, a figure began float from the castle...
Someone noble.
Like a whale.
The white clad spirit stopped inches from the exhausted girl-prince.
I can't lose...
Like a dolphin.
Onegai....don't let me lose to someone like him.
Like a sea-lion.
As if this was a confirmation, the princely figure dissolved into Lina's body in a golden dance of light.
A noble act.
I travel down into the depths of the sea.
With an impossible grace that heaven would recognize as its own, Lina floated to the tips of her toes, her face one of sheer bliss and peace.
True nirvana.
Down through the history in the depths of the sea.
As she turned, still on her tip-toes, to face Zangulus, one could swear that they - if only for a moment - saw another face superimposed on her own. A face of a fine prince with long blond hair.
Someone beautiful.
And at the bottom I find myself.
She snapped open all encompassing eyes to Zangulus, eyes filed with compassion and duty.
An everlasting gaze.
Aaaaah
Like a cornered animal, he made a final, piteous attempt at victory.
Ammonite!
"Laguna Blade!" she cried, encompassing the sword in a black pitch.
Horror and shock where the only things his mind would process as the unnatural power not only swept the petals from his rose....
But the blade from his very sword.
Sylphiel watched, wide-eyed as something left Lina in a dance of gold light. Was it....could it possibly....
How?
Lina relaxed her position, a puzzled look on her face. What did I just do?
"What was that!?" Zelgadiss cried from the tower. He had seen the whole thing, she - that girl...what had she done? "Was that it? The power to bring Revolution? Gourry's power? Chaos?"
Lina smiled fondly at the strange creature she held back from the cake on the table. Shabby-chan whined and struggled, but her damnable finger kept the scrumptious object just out of reach. However the sound of the opening door distracted her from her game, causing Shabby-chan to plop face first into the cake.
Sylphiel stood in the doorway, now dressed in her school uniform. "You didn't purposely lose the Duel..."
"I-it's not what you think. I...did it for Shabby-chan. Yeah! If you went back to Zangulus, he'd just be mean to him."
Shabby-chan nodded and grinned his freakily kawaii grin, offering Lina a strawberry from the nearly demolished cake.
As Lina giggled and accepted the 'gift', Sylphiel felt her lips move into a soft smile.
Thank you Lina-sama.