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Author:
Hawk Shadowharper |
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Curses and Control Chapter Selection "The way to truly defeat Lina Inverse is to make her feel she's lost control of herself, to make her do things she doesn't want to do, or doesn't think she normally would do. Her self control is what makes her powerful. Remove that, and you can defeat her." The place was dark, always shadowy. The only indication of life was two darker shadows standing around a small orb. In the orb was an image of the mentioned sorceress. "Do you understand?" The second shadow bowed its head. "Yes, my Lord, and I have the perfect spell in mind." Some say that food is a delicacy. Some say that one should enjoy their food, savor its flavor and enjoy it completely. The heroes of our story would like to disagree. "Path tha ickin is ay." Anyone that hasn't know the red head long wouldn't have a clue as to what she just said. The others she was sitting with, though, know her rather well. A chicken made its way down the table until vanishing into Lina's mouth. Sitting across from her, food was meeting the same demise at Gourry's hands. Next to the sorceress, Zel was sipping his usual cup of coffee, watching the blond girl seated across from him. Seraya was eyeing the rather large portion (well, for her anyway) of food she received and poking at it with her fork. "Something wrong with the food, Ser?" She looked up at him and smiled lightly, causing him to blush slightly. How immature can I get, it's just a little smile. "No... just I don't normally eat a lot." Zel nodded, glancing at the rapidly-disappearing feast between Lina and Gourry. "Hang around these two long enough and you won't anyway." He ducked the fireball launched in his direction and took another sip of coffee as if nothing had happened. Ser giggled quietly. After the various big eaters had finished, it was dark and time for bed. There seemed to be a problem, though. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN THERE'RE ONLY TWO ROOMS LEFT?!" The innkeeper gulped, knowing who Lina was and what she could do. However, that wouldn't change how pressed for space he was. "Please forgive me, Ms. Inverse, but all I have are two single occupancy rooms left." Lina sighed and grumbled lowly, then looked back at the other three. "Fine, guess we'll have to share. Zel, you and Gourry go in one and Ser and I will take the other." The others nodded and they all headed upstairs, the girls disappearing into one room and the guys in the other. Each room had only one bed, and it wasn't even a double size. "Uhm, Zelgadis? I can sleep on the floor if you want." Zel looked at the swordsman and shook his head. "If you do, traveling tomorrow will be torture. We'll just have to share." "Oh, okay," Gourry agreed as he rapidly set his armor down beside the bed and climbed into bed. Zel sweatdropped, draping his cloak over a chair then laying down as well, as far on the edge as he could. Considering the size of the blanket, this did not work well as both men fought for enough to cover themselves. Zel grumbled, "You don't need to hog the blanket along with the food." He gave another tug on the strained fabric which Gourry immediately pulled back. "But I'm barely even covered!" Zel sighed and stopped fighting. "Fine, then we'll have to move closer together." He rolled backwards to laying on his back, and Gourry did the same. They were shoulder to shoulder, and now they were both covered. "There, better?" "Zzzz..." Zel would've facefaulted had he not already been on his back, but then fell asleep as well. The bed is comfortable, actually... Lina sighed contently to herself, wrapped up in the comfortable blanket. This isn't so bad, I can't even tell Ser's in the bed. Something clicked in her mind and she blinked. There was a very slight movement coming from something on the bed and she could just barely feel it. "Seraya? What's wrong?" "... N-nothing, Lina-san..." She turned over and looked at Ser in the darkness. Lina could see that the blond girl was balled up on the bed and shivering. "Ser, you're shivering," Lina said quietly, preparing a low level fireball to warm her up. "I.. I'm alright, Lina-san..." The sorceress frowned. I didn't leave her any of the blanket, did I... "Aww, I'm sorry, Seraya." Lina reached over and gently wrapped an arm around Ser's waist. The younger girl blushed softly but didn't resist as Lina pulled her closer. After making sure the blanket was over them both, Lina hugged Ser around the waist again, the smaller girl's back to her chest. "T-thank you, Lina-san," Ser whispered weakly. Lina smiled and hugged her tighter, making Ser blush deeper. "Any time, Ser-san, any time." Both girls fell asleep as well, more comfortable together than they would be apart. The next morning, the four travelers were walking along the road towards a city they knew was just a couple days away. "Where are we headed again," Gourry asked for the 20th time. Lina sighed quietly, having given up for the moment on smacking the swordsman upside the head. "We've heard about some sort of magic artifact collection being displayed in Malfia. It's worth a look," Lina answered, taking great effort to keep her anger in check. "Who knows what might be in there, maybe even a cure finally." Zel glanced around at the others and frowned slightly. Ser had a disturbed expression on her face and seemed to be looking off into space, not paying attention to where she was going. "Seraya?" He became concerned when she didn't even acknowledge hearing him and tried again. "Seraya-san?" She blinked a couple times, apparently dragging herself out of wherever her mind was and looked at Zel, eyes still partially distracted. "Hai...?" "Is there something wrong," he asked. Ser slowed her pace then stopped all together, looking at the forests around the road they were on. "I... I keep thinking I sense something..." Zel frowned more and stopped as well, looking around. We don't know a lot about her powers... "What do you sense, Seraya?" She concentrated a moment, trying to get a definate feel of whatever was itching at her powers. "I... I'm not sure... but what it is, it's dark," she replied quietly. Zel drew his sword and eyed the shadows of the forest, expecting some type of attack. Lina and Gourry, at the sound of a sword being unsheathed, stopped and looked back. "Zel? What's going on?" "Seraya senses something, and I'm more than a little suspicious." Hidden from view of the travelers, a shadowy figure watched them, concerned a bit. The girl shouldn't sense me at all, yet she did. Interesting... Figuring it best to follow its Lord's orders and get back to report, it chanted quietly and threw the invisible curse at Lina. When the spell reached Lina, she felt dizzy a moment and closed her eyes, trying to regain her balance. The shadow smiled darkly, already her fate had been sealed. The spell it had used was an interesting one, and whoever the sorceress saw first would become her target. After taking a couple steadying breaths, Lina opened her eyes again and there was a brief flash of darkness in her eyes. "Seraya-san," she whispered to herself. Ser blinked and trembled slightly, sensing a very strong black spell being cast and brushing near her, then it was gone along with whatever it was she sensed earlier. "It... it's gone." She sighed and shook her head. "I felt a spell being cast, then... nothing." "Well, whatever it is, it's gone now. Come on, Malfia awaits!" Zel watched Lina as she walked towards him and Ser, then blinked in surprise when the sorceress wrapped an arm around the healer's waist. "What are you looking at, come on!" She started down the road again, a blushing Seraya having little choice other than walking beside the red head. Zel blinked again, then started after the girls, Gourry falling into step beside him. "That is... unusual." The swordsman looked at Zel, wondering what he meant but decided not to ask. Meanwhile, Ser was having a tough time thinking with Lina's arm around her. Add to that, Lina's fingers were lightly caressing her stomach, making the blond girl shiver slightly. Lina-san, what are you doing...? When she got partially used to the gentle touch, Ser took a deep breath and tried sensing anything unusual. What is that...? It feels a little like earlier... She couldn't concentrate enough to figure out much else. It was nighttime and the four slayers were sitting around a campfire, enjoying a meal of roasted fish. They were only a day's walk away from Malfia now. Throughout the day, Lina never let go of Ser, either keeping an arm around her shoulders or waist, or hooking one of the blond girl's arms around her own. All this contact did not go unnoticed, of course. "Lina, is there something wrong," Zel asked from the other side of the fire. Lina looked up, sitting beside Ser on one of their bedrolls. "Hmm...?" was her intelligent response. "Uhm, just that... you've been... uhm, how do I put this..." Now that he thought about it, Zel felt like a fool. "You've been so close to Seraya all day, is there something wrong?" Even if he was slow, Gourry was also blunt. Instead of rolling her eyes or hitting him, however, Lina just shrugged. "Not that I know of, does it really matter?" "Uhm..." Gourry thought about it for a while, then answered, "No." Later that night, after the last rays of sunlight had faded and the dark sky was filled with stars, the slayers had fallen asleep around the dying fire. Not surprisingly, Lina had bunked down near Ser. After the last flicker of their campfire died out, Lina crawled out of her bedding and kneeled beside Ser. The sorceress watched her a moment, then lightly brushed the hair out of her face to behind her ear. Seraya shivered from the gentle touch and opened her eyes. "Lina-san...?" Lina smiled down at her and climbed under the blanket, nearly on top of the healer. "Lina-san, what...??" The sorceress gently caressed Ser's face, fingertips tracing small circles over her pale skin. Ser closed her eyes, tilting her face into Lina's hand. Lina smiled darkly and leaned down, kissing Ser's cheek, corner of her lips brushing over the healer's. "Isn't this what you wanted, Seraya-chan?" Ser opened her eyes again, sensing something wrong still. Before she could concentrate on figuring it out, though, Lina's hand sliding down over her chest and stomach made electricity shoot through her. Ser gasped and shivered slightly. "Lina-san, I... I've never..." She blushed and trembled slightly, Lina's hand had slipped under her shirt and was resting on her stomach. "You've never been touched like this before, Ser-chan?" She shook her head and gasped again, Lina was slowly pulling her shirt off. "Or has Xelloss been the only one privileged enough?" Lina smiled, a dark shadowy smile as she tossed Ser's shirt aside then leaned down again, kissing her neck softly. It felt so good, Lina's warmth over her. Seraya blushed though, she wasn't used to being half-nude in front of anyone. Lina kept kissing her neck gently, her hand on Ser's stomach slowly sliding upward over the smooth skin. Ser blushed and moaned quietly when Lina cupped her breast in one hand, slowly kneading the warm flesh. The red head whispered into her ear, "You're mine, Ser-chan," then playfully nibbled her ear lobe, accenting the point by flicking one of Ser's nipples with her thumb. The small tip of flesh stiffened and Ser arched her back slightly, moaning quietly again. Lina's touch felt so good, but she could still faintly sense something wrong. Lina grinned after seeing Ser's reaction. "Yes, all mine," she repeated, slipping her hand back down Ser's stomach and tracing the waistband of her pants. "I want all of you, Ser-chan." Ser opened her eyes wide, feeling Lina's hand slipping under her clothing and between her legs. "Lina-san..!" Lina clapped her free hand over Ser's mouth, resting the first directly over Ser's womanhood. She blushed deeply and moaned louder, the sound muffled. Lina grinned darkly at the blond girl, fingers gently increasing their tempo within her. Conflicting emotions raced through Ser's mind, and the nagging feeling that something was wrong got stronger. Resisting against the growing sensation from Lina's movements inside her, Ser reached up and tried to pull the hand away from her mouth. "Lina... Lina, please stop...!" Ignoring her protests, Lina only increased her speed more. Ser trembled and moaned again, she couldn't hold back much longer. "Lina, please stop..." Her eyes were glowing softly but also paled slightly. "That's not what you really want... You like this, Ser-chan." Lina smiled evilly, her victim's physical reaction was simply making it easier. "It's wrong, Lina please...! What's happened.. t..." Ser's eyes flashed brightly a moment and she cried out weakly, drenching Lina's hand. Her voice was weak and trembled, "Lina..." The light in her eyes faded and she fell unconscious, breathing heavily. Lina smiled triumphantly at her prey and wrapped an arm around her, laying down next to Ser. "You're mine, Ser-chan," she whispered before she fell asleep, still half on top of the young healer. Across the fireplace, two pairs of blue eyes watched the girls sleep, as they had been for a while now. On the opposite side, in the shadows, a pair of purple eyes glowed lightly with its own pain and anger, then vanished. Still a fourth pair of eyes watched as well, but couldn't be seen, nor the evil grin its owner had. "The spell was a success, my Lord. When I deactivate it, Lina Inverse will be easily defeated." The shadowy figure waved its hand, dispelling the predation/seduction spell that had been cast on the sorceress. Then it disappeared, low laughter riding the breeze. In her castle, Zelas was waiting for her General Priest to return. She was also wondering how that girl he had found a few weeks ago was. Seraya, wasn't it? Xelloss reappeared on Wolf Pack Island and, without any warning, released a huge wave of energy, thousands of lower mazoku being incinerated. The Beastmaster saw this enormous display of rage and simply raised an eyebrow. Hmm, seems Xelloss's upset about something. After torching a few more mazoku that tried to feed off his emotions, Xel reappeared in the castle, most of his anger and frustration cooled. "What's happened this time, Xelloss?" He bowed to her then straightened, leaning on his staff. "Sore wa himitsu desu, Juuou-sama." She chuckled softly. "I've taught you too well, but you should know better than to keep secrets from me." Before he could respond, Zelas dug into his memories, reliving the past half hour as if she had been there. Knowing that resisting would be considered very bad, Xelloss watched her calmly with his eyes closed, letting her see all he had seen, feel all he had felt. After the scene played out, Zelas released her priest from her mental grasp and nodded thoughtfully. "I see. You think Lina-san tried to take Seraya-san from you?" "Hai, Juuou-sama. It must be understandable why I was angry." Zelas watched him, gazing at his eyelids. "I don't believe Lina-san did this of her own will. Did you sense it, Xelloss?" He frowned to himself, the light smile still on his physical face. "What was there to sense? She did it on her own." Zelas smiled warmly and shook her head, not saying anything more. "Juuou-sama, what do y - " He blinked his eyes open in surprise, finding himself teleported out of the castle and back near the slayers' camp. "Very well, then," he whispered to himself, closing his eyes again. "I will watch some more." "My Lord, the spell was a success. Lina Inverse will be simple to defeat this time tomorrow," the shadowy figure reported, kneeled down before its superior. "Yes, I am well aware of that, Granite. However, I still sense something in the back of your mind. What's happened this time?" Granite hesitated a moment, then spoke his concerns. "It's about the other girl, Lord Zur. She was able to sense my presence even though it shouldn't have been possible." Zur nodded slowly. "So you are saying she is much more powerful than she seems." "It appears so, my Lord." Zur looked through the dimensional window at the small traveling group, still asleep even though the sun had just started rising. "Well then, a slight change in plans.. before we destroy Lina Inverse, we will take her friend as well." "Do you wish me to go retrieve her now, Lord?" "No, wait until I give the order." Granite nodded and stood up again. "Of course, Lord Zur." He bowed then disappeared across the dimensions. The first peeks of the sunrise had started to bathe the area in light, and Lina and Ser were still asleep together. The guys, however... "I still can't believe it, Lina... can I even call it that? ... she raped Seraya..." Gourry was in the same state of shock he had been in a couple hours ago, brain still working on taking in what he had seen. "She's a girl... and she's a girl.... but she's a girl too..." The swordsman tried amazingly hard to make sense of it, but the only result was his fainting. Zel sighed quietly, wondering what to do. When they wake it, it'll be very awkward... Warm... it's warm. Seraya slowly opened her eyes, seeing the sky a shade of orange and yellow from the rising sun. What a strange dream... and it felt good. A strange sensation made itself aware, someone was beside her. Sensing who it was without looking, Ser's eyes widened. It... it wasn't a dream...? Why did she do this all of a sudden? Why now? Ser blushed softly and closed her eyes again. It felt so nice, though... Lina groaned quietly and buried her head further into her pillow, unaware that she was still partially on top of Ser and the softness she mistook for a pillow was actually the blond girl's chest. Ser blushed deeper, opening her eyes and carefully looking down at Lina. Wow, what a dream that was. Lina sighed and smiled lightly to herself. Even if it was just a dream, it was nice. She became aware of something odd about her pillow. The sorceress slowly opened her eyes, finding herself staring at her friend's breasts. Lina blinked then blushed as red as her hair. It... it wasn't a dream... She remembered the night all too well, then. I... I forced her to... She slowly looked up towards Ser, finding the healer was already watching her. Blue eyes stared into red eyes for a moment. "...Seraya..." Across the cold fireplace, Zel watched nervously. Both girls were awake, and he was worried about what would happen. Hidden in the shadows of the forest, Xel watched as well, anger at seeing Lina on his Ser-chan slowly rising anew. Also hidden, but not in the same dimension, Granite waited for the order from his Lord. A nervous tension filled the air, and for several seconds no one even breathed. "..." Lina jumped to her feet and backed away slowly. "Seraya-san, I... I'm sorry, I..." Guilt nearly drowned the red head. I forced her! She must hate me... "Please forgive me, I..." Unable to face her any longer, Lina ran off into the shadows, disappearing from sight. "... Lina-san..." Seraya climbed out of the bedding and back to her feet, ignoring her state of dress for the moment. Zel looked away politely, however the other two pairs of hidden eyes weren't so considerate. "... Why did she run away...?" "I thnk she thinks she forced you, Ser-san." Seraya turned quickly, looking at the golem. "I don't... I don't think that's true, the whole time... I sensed that dark spell..." Zel looked back, cautiously watching Ser's face. "That dark spell you sensed yesterday morning?" "It seemed the same..." Ser sighed quietly. "What Lina-san did... it wasn't because of her own choice, that spell... it was a manipulative spell now that I think about it." Xel listened intently. Only a control spell...? Who would cast something like that on Lina? "But it was powerful enough that Lina didn't know." Ser nodded, eyes paled softly. "We have to find her, before - " She suddenly disappeared, and Zel's eyes widened slightly. "Seraya? Seraya?!" He looked around, but she was nowhere to be seen. He couldn't sense her presense either. "Ser-chan!?" The chimera saw Xel appear from the shadows and suddenly became even more worried. The look on the Trickster's face... he was surprised, and angry. "Where is she??" "If you don't know then I surely don't." Xel opened her eyes and glared at Zel dangerously. "The question is... who took her?" Ser's words cut off in her throat and she blinked in surprise. One second he was talking to Zel, the next....? She didn't know where she was as she looked around. The place was very shadowed and dark, and she sensed a strangely familiar energy around the place. "Wh... where am I?" "Ah, my dear Seraya... welcome to my home." She looked towards the voice, seeing an even more shadowy figure walking towards her. Dark energy pounded her senses and she cringed, trying to block it out. "Don't fight me, beautiful one.. it will only make things more difficult." "N-no, send me back, please...!" The figure stepped into the "light" and she saw him clearly for the first time. He was tall, at least as tall as Xelloss, built along the same lines as well. That's where the similarity ended. "I cannot send you back, not until I'm..." He smirked, piercing blue eyes drifting lazily up and down her form. Ser blushed deeply and crossed her arms over her chest. He chuckled quietly. "... finished with you. You see, my lovely, I always get what I want." He turned those eyes directly into her's and the small girl shivered, feeling like he was seeing right through her. "And right now... you're what I want." Zel kept running through the woods, Gourry right behind him. The swordsman had regained consciousness right after Ser had disappeared, and was pulled off into the forest, lots of questions kept unasked. "We'll need Lina's help to get Seraya back." "Someone dared take my Ser-chan," Xel grumbled lowly, flying alongside Zel. "They'll learn not to mess with me." Zel ignored him, more intent on just trying to find Lina. "Where's Lina," Gourry finally asked. Zel sighed quietly, jumping over a fallen tree and continuing deeper into the forest. "We're looking for her, once we find her we can find Seraya." Instead of getting answer, the blond only got more questions. Several minutes, they found her, curled up against a tree and sitting nearly motionless. "Lina?" She didn't look up, and it wasn't until Zel shook her shoulder that she saw them for the first time. "Wha..?! What is it?" She blinked a couple times, trying to clear her head. "Someone took Ser-chan," Xel replied bitterly, anger seeping into his normally cheerful voice. "... Took her..." Lina looked down, shame nearly overwhelming her again. "...She wouldn't want my help," she said quietly. Zel sighed to himself, wondering what it would take to get Lina to feel better. "Lina, last night wasn't your doing, Ser said it was because of a control spell." Lina looked back up at the chimera, red eyes thoughtful a moment but still sorrowful. "... Even so, I still..." "Lina, she's a forgiving person. This isn't the time to be concerned about what happened, we can't save her without you." Lina sighed quietly, closing her eyes a moment. Even if she hates me now... I need to help save her, she doesn't deserve being held against her will anymore than I've done... She opened her eyes again and nodded slightly. "Let's find her." Xelloss opened his eyes and smiled darkly. "I've got her, let's go." In an instant, Xel had teleported the group through dimensions, into darkness. "Ah, I wondered when you would show up." The slayers looked around for the source when a dark figure appeared. "Welcome.. yes, welcome to my home." "Cut the pleasantries and give us Ser-chan back!" Xel glared daggers at the red-headed man. "I see... you're here for my dear Seraya, hm... but what if she doesn't want to leave?" "What?!" Zur smiled knowingly and glanced over his shoulder, another shadowy figure appearing. "Seraya, you have visitors." The figure walked towards them and eventually formed into Seraya dressed in a rather revealing dark blue dress. The strangest part of it was that there wasn't even a blush on her face. Xel and the others all stared in either shock or.. something else, but the Trickster was first to recover. "Come on, Ser-chan, let's go." "But I don't want to go," she whispered and was surrounded by Zur's arms, blank eyes glowing lightly. "As I told you..." Zur started, nuzzling Ser's hair affectionately. Even higher levels of anger rose in Xelloss. The bastard has another control spell! "We're not leaving without her!" Lina, Gourry and Zel prepared themselves, a fight wasn't far off. Zur just smiled at them. "What makes you think you'll even have the choice? Granite, come here." A third figure appeared, revealing a black-haired man with gray eyes. "Yes, my Lord?" Zur watched the intruders thoughtfully, slowly running his fingers through Ser's hair. "My angel and I don't want to be disturbed. Would you be kind enough to keep our... 'guests' occupied?" Granite grinned, eyes flashing evilly. "It will be my pleasure, my Lord." Zur nodded and disappeared with Seraya. Xel growled lowly. "Ser-chan!" He narrowed his eyes, the smile long missing from his face as he held his staff in both hands. Granite's grin remained, dark energy starting to swirl around his hands. "Now... who wishes to die?" "Who was that, m'Lord?" "Don't worry about them, my dear, they won't find us." "I'll go find Ser-chan, you three... well, just survive," stated the self-proclaimed Mazoku leader. "Wait, how will you find her?" "Same way I found her before," and he disappeared. Granite narrowed his eyes, several orbs of dark energy forming and rotating around him. "He is a fool, Lord Zur will destroy him in an instant." One of the orbs flew towards the remaining slayers and they dived aside, an explosion of black energy being set off. Lina jumped back to her feet and yelled out angrily, several spells flying from her hands towards Granite. Her jaw hit the ground when he simply waved his hand, all of her attacks disappating in thin air. "Dammit!" Zel wasn't standing idle, he was running for a position behind the dark figure. However, his spells found the same demise, becoming useless before they even got close to their target. "Alright, spells don't seem to be an option. Gourry, get the Sword of Light!" The swordsman nodded and held up the hilt of his sword, the white blade sliding out and glowing brightly for a moment. Granite yelled in pain and threw another energy orb at the sword, knocking it out of Gourry's hands. It disappeared into the shadows, the white glow dimmed severely. "Light! Gourry, go get the sword back! Zel, let's light the place up!" Granite, seeing what was coming, roared and threw all of the black orbs in both directions. Lina avoided most of them but one slammed into her, sending her back and smashing into a "wall" that formed suddenly. The sorceress crumpled to the ground, gasping for breath. Zel met much the same fate, but he recovered almost right away and threw several Lighting spells. The shadowy figured howled and thew larger orbs at the chimera. Zel wasn't so lucky this time. "ZEL!" After she recovered and pushed back to her feet, Lina saw him disappear into the darkness behind a large black orb. The Lighting spells were quickly enveloped by more orbs and disappeared. "Enough playing around!" Lina chanted quickly, a very bright light forming between her hands. By this time Gourry had recovered his sword and was running back, weapon raised. "Gourry! Slice him to bits!" The swordsman dove for Granite, the sword's holy blade sinking deep into the shadow. A scream of anger and inhuman pain escaped the evil's lips, and his disappeared from around the sword. Not wasting time in congratulations, Lina rushed off in the direction Zel disappeared. "Zel! ZEL!!" The shadows were like a fog, and when she finally did reach him she nearly tripped over him. Then she got a good look at him."... oh L-sama..." Xelloss peered at the darkness where he knew his target was. "If you come out now Zur, I might only kill you." "My, quite a threat from such a weak creature." Xel's eyes narrowed angrily. "And you're such an arrogant one." He held up his staff, energy starting to swirl around the jewel. "Now now, Mettallium, is it a good idea to attack while I hold Seraya right next to me?" Shimatta! "Let her go, Zur!" The shadow chuckled quietly. "Certainly." Xel binked in surprise at the response and Ser walked out of the shadows, her eyes with the same blank look. "Ser-chan...?" She smiled weakly, her eyes starting to glow lightly. "We wish to be left alone," she whispered just before she fired a large beam of white energy at the Trickster. The moment that he let his guard down was she she was waiting for, the white light digging into his body and sending massive waves of pain through him. "AAHH!! Seraya, stop!!" Trying to concentrate but finding it nearly impossible, Xel had no choice but to teleport away. "Well done, my dear, but he will be back." "I understand, my Lord." Lina cradled Zel's head in her lap. He was unconscious from the earlier attack, painful burns all over his blue skin. "Zel... Zel, please don't leave me!" Lina trembled, a single tear sliding down her cheek. Gourry was standing protectively beside them, Sword of Light illuminating the area as he expected Granite to reappear for a second round. When someone teleported near, he tensed, ready to slice the shadow to pieces this time. "Put that down, Gou-san, it's blinding." Lina looked up and gaped in surprise, the Mazoku was in much the same condition as Zel. "What happened to you?!" He kneeled in front of her, looking down at Zel. "Sore wa himitsu desu, Lina-chan," he answered quietly. "What happened to Zel-kun?" "Granite hit him with dark energy. He... he's dying..." Xel closed his eyes and sighed silently. "He is... we need Ser-chan's help to heal him." "Where is Seraya," Gourry asked. "... Still under Zur's control." And becoming quite an opponent, he added mentally. Granite hissed in pain as he applied a bandage to the hole in his chest. "They're tougher than I thought." He paused. "That sword... if it could do this to me, what will it do to Zur?" Xel nodded, listening to Lina's summary of the battle. "They're dark creatures, so light and white magic will hurt them. The problem is, the only one near who has that kind of power is Ser-chan." Lina nodded slightly, still looking down at Zel. "We need to free her first, then with her help we can heal Zel and defeat Zur." "And Granite, he just disappeared last time," Gourry remarked in a moment of intelligence. Xel and Lina glanced up at him, then nodded in agreement. "What about Zel? Shouldn't we get him someplace safe until we can free Ser?" Xel smirked a moment which turned into a grimace of pain. "Yes, an excellent idea." The small group teleported away. "Xelloss-san?!" Just hearing the voice again made Lina's spine tingle. Amelia's eyes were wide in shock and surprise, Xel still had nasty burns all over him. They had teleported to Sailoon, directly into the palace as to avoid the guards. "Hello, Amelia." "What happened to you?" He sighed quietly, really not wanting to talk about it. "Sore wa..." he started to say before she shrieked and rushed to Gourry who was holding... "Zelgadis-san!!" Lina sweatdropped and sighed as well. "Amelia, we don't have time. We need a place to keep him safe until we can find Seraya." The princess was barely listening, throwing every healing spell she knew at the chimera but none had any effect. "Yes, of course," she said quietly after exhausting her knowledge of spells. After putting Zel in a guarded room filled with the kingdom's best healers, the sorceress, swordsman and priest were ready to return to battle when Amelia stopped them. "Wait! In the defense of truth and justice, I will join you in vanquishing the great evil that dared attack Xelloss-san and my Zelgadis-san!" "..." "She's got white magic, we might need her to free Seraya." "..." "We don't have much of a choice, Xel." "... Fine, she can go with us." He was just about to teleport them when Amelia interrupted a second time. "Just one question: Who's Seraya?" "My Lord, these opponents are more powerful than we believed," Granite reported when he returned to Zur's side. "Have no fear, Granite, there is not a white magic caster among them, we shall defeat them easily." "But Lord, they've recruited another. She's a young white mage, the same as Seraya." Zur looked down at the blond girl, who was staring blankly out into the darkness around them. "She isn't nearly as powerful. We will defeat her as well." Granite nodded. "Of course, Lord Zur." The group traveled through the dark dimension, Xel leading them. He was still visibly injured but was rapidly regaining his power. Lina was close behind him, keeping a Lighting spell floating above them to discourage a certain shadowy figure from appearing. Amelia walked behind them, babbling about "the Truth and Justice Knight Seraya" she couldn't wait to meet, or how she would "defeat the evil Zur in the name of justice, love and Zelgadis." The others did their best to tune the princess out. Gourry brought up the rear, keeping the Sword of Light ready. Granite could appear at any time now. Finally charging enough energy, Xel stopped where he was. "I can teleport us again. Be on guard, Zur and Granite could be anywhere." The others nodded and were teleported... ...directly into Hell. Some say Hell is fire and heat. This hell was dark and freezing cold. None were dressed for the subzero temperatures they appeared in, and even Xel couldn't hold back a shiver. "W-what h-hap-ppened," Amelia asked through chattering teeth. "He pulled a dirty trick worty of a mazoku. Dropping the temperature where he is," Xel answered, quickly getting used to the cold air. "B-b-but what ab-bout Ser?" "I don't think he'd let her freeze, but this does complicate things a little." Figuring they stood a better chance if they could feel their hands, Xel formed barriers around the others, blocking out the bitter cold. "Thanks." Xel nodded absently, staring at something just out of sight for the others. "Do you see them, Xelloss-san?" "They're watching us, probably for our reaction to the cold." Xel narrowed his eyes. "Well, they know that didn't work for long." The priest turned, looking at the other slayers. "Remember, we're just trying to free Ser-chan, defeating them will have to wait." "Hai, time is of the utmost importance, especially Zelgadis-san's time!" The small group spread out as they had planned, Lina and Amelia preparing several Lighting spells, the Sword of Light glowing brightly, and the jewel of Xel's staff emitting a similar light. Zur watched them all, a slow smile spreading across his face. "Seraya, it's time to finish what you started." She nodded and started for Xel, a white energy orb glowing between her hands. Xel smiled brightly. "Why Ser-chan, coming for me? I'm flattered." Lina, Amelia and Gourry prepared themselves. Once Ser had charged her energy they woudl attack with every light they could. After that... Xel hadn't been clear. The moment came, Ser had almost finished her spell and Zur's concentration was strongest on her. At that moment, Granite called out in warning as nearly a hundred light orbs flew towards them, Gourry charging with the Sword of Light raised. Zur glanced towards the new threat and that was what Xel was waiting for. He swung his staff and another orb of energy flew towards the shadow. Zur looked back just as it struck him and shattered his concentration, his spells on Ser being broken. She froze for a moment, life reentering her eyes, then she shivered and collapsed curled up to the ground, the white orb floating above her forgotten. Xel blurred as he rushed towards Ser, scooped her up and waved his hand all in one motion, he and the others teleporting back to Sailoon. The remaining light spells were swiftly dealt with, then Zur turned on Granite. He growled lowly, his eyes glowing angrily. "How did they do that?! That spell was unbreakable!" Granite cringed under his Lord's accusations. There had been too many orbs of light and he hadn't been able to defend his master. "And you! You just stood there!" Zur glared down at his minion. Knowing better than to disagree, Granite kept his mouth shut. "You're a wate of my time and power." Granite looked up in shock, then fear as a red barrier formed around him. "Wait, my Lord! Please, give me another chance, I beg you!" Zur waved his hand and the barrier imploded into nothing, the figure formerally known as Granite reabsorbed completely. "Now... to get Seraya back..." Xel floated beside the bed, a concerned look still on his face. Seraya was recovering, but she needed a little more time. Meanwhile, Zel was getting worse. They needed her, but if she wasn't fully recovered... "Xelloss-san?" He didn't look away as Amelia walked in quietly. "What is it," he asked, doing his best to keep his voice neutral. So much had happened to him too, he felt he could sleep for a decade. "I thought I might be able to at least speed her recovery a little." Xel looked up at the princess, eyes closed. "Then do it, we need her." Amelia nodded and moved to the side of the bed. "... She's beautiful..." "Hai, she is..." "..." "Amelia, get a hold of yourself and help her," he said, a small note of impatience slipping in. The princess blushed lightly and held her hands over Ser, startng to cast her recovery spells. Why do I have feelings for someone I just met, Amelia asked herself. One of Amelia's spells had a strange effect, and an aura appeared around Ser. "What's that aura for," Xel asked. "I'm not sure, it's like.. a low level love spell." Xel frowned inwardly, keeping his face neutral. "Why does she have a love spell on her?" "We'll have to ask when she wakes up." It was quite a smack in the face for the Mazoku who thought he had very tight control on his protection spells. My love for Seraya... is because of a love spell?? Xel was considering looking for some quiet pocket dimension to think about this, but the thought was abandoned when Ser regained consciousness, whispering his name. Almost by reflex he floated to beside her and held her hand in his. "I'm here, Ser-chan..." A look of relief passed over her face, then she opened her eyes and looked up at him. "Xel-chan..." He smiled softly, gently squeezing her hand. "How do you feel, Seraya-san?" Ser looked at Amelia, her eyes pale but slowly recovering. "Much better, thank you." Amelia blushed again, like a young girl when her crush compliments her. "It was nothing, rea - " Lina burst into the room, interrupting the princess. "He's getting worse, we're losing him!" Ser sat up. "Who? What's happening?" "Zelgadis-san was attacked by Zur and we need help to heal him." Ser nodded, thinking of what she remembered while under the shadow's control. "I can help him, I saw Zur's attacks..." Ser climbed to her feet, and tried to take a step but nearly collapsed had it not been for Xel there to catch her. She smiled and lightly kissed his cheek. "Let's get you to Zel-kun." The room was organized chaos. All of the kingdom's healers and priests were there, trying their best to help the comatose chimera, but their efforts were quickly becoming useless. Ser looked around, mentally assessing the power in the room. All of them combined... the same level as one of my simplier healing spells. "I think I can help him, but I need quiet to concentrate," she whispered to Amelia. The princess nodded and tried to get the group's attention. "Excuse me... uhm, could I have your attention, please... please, everyone..." "EVERYONE, SHUT UP!!" The room went deathly silent for a moment as everyone looked at the small sorceress with the big mouth. Lina eyed the other white magic users. "Get outta here, we've got a professional." She nodded towards Ser as the blond walked towards Zel. Most of the older healers huffed at such a young girl possibly having more powerful magic then them. "Well, believe it, so either get out or be quiet." The majority grumbled and left, while the rest asked to stay and watch. Ser nodded absently, looking down at Zel. She recognized the attack and knew how to heal it, but her energy was still low. I have to do this, Zel-san needs me... Closing her eyes, she started to chant lowly, an orb of white healing energy slowly forming between her hands. As the others watched, Zel's wounded started, very slowly, to heal. The priests that were left were amazed, while the other slayers were hopeful. Ser trembled, her physical energy running low quickly. No, I have to do this, I have to save him...! Her mental and magical energy pushed her body farther as the orb grew larger, the spell almost complete. Save him, I can save him... I have to, he's counting on me. Seraya's vision blurred as she started getting dizzy but kept chanting, the white orb glowing. She gasped out the last incantation and collapsed into Xel's waiting arms. The orb drifted slowly down into Zel, and the rest of his injuries healed almost instantly. The other slayers, who had seen healings like this before, were respectful about it. Amelia and the other healers were absolutely floored. "That was..." "Incredible..." "I've never seen anything like it..." "Xel-chan," the young girl whispered weakly, eyes closed. Xel smiled lightly down at her. "Yes, Ser-chan?" "Zel... how is he?" "Completely healed... thanks to you." Ser sighed in relief and relaxed in his arms. "Thank L-sama..." "Seraya-sama, that was amazing!" The princess was suddenly standing there, sparkles in her eyes. "You must stay and join us under the banner of Justice to fight against the evils of illness and injury!" Xel cringed, cradling Ser protectively. "Amelia, she needs rest, it's been a long day." She blinked a couple times. "Oh... gomen, Seraya-sama, I'll talk to you later." Xel sighed in relief of his own and teleported back to where Ser had been resting, then laid her down gently again. "Rest, Ser-chan.." He lightly brushed a strand of golden hair out of her face. You deserve it after the day you've had. He smiled warmly and leaned down, kissing her lightly. Then he disappeared again. The next morning, the palace cooks had their hands full, trying to feed their normal number plus Lina and Gourry. The group of bandit slayers, including Amelia were seated around a table, enjoying a feast of all the breakfast foods you could imagine. "How are you feeling, Zel-san," Ser asked quietly. He looked up from his coffee at her. "Much better now... thank you, Seraya." She smiled softly. "You're welcome." She started to say something else when someone caught her eye. Seated at the farthest corner from her was Lina, trying to avoid her gaze. Deciding not to wait any longer, Ser stood and walked around the table to beside the sorceress. "Lina-san...?" Lina looked up with a start, then looked away, still ashamed about what she did. "I... I'm sorry, Ser-san..." The healer watched her a moment. "Lina-san... can we talk...? Privately?" Lina looked back up at Ser, a little surprised but nodded. Ser lead her out of the dining room, all eyes at the table on the two girls. Ser lead Lina to a little-used back hallway, and stopped when they couldn't hear the noise from breakfast anymore. Ser looked back at Lina, eyes glowing lightly in the dim hallway. The red head looked down, still feeling bad. "Lina-san... Lina-san, look at me." Slowly she looked up again. "I don't blame you for what happened... so you shouldn't blame yourself either. Zur is powerful, and... and it was his spell, not you." Lina blushed softly, memories of the night flooding back to her. Seraya smiled at the sorceress and leaned back against the wall behind her. "Lina-san... would you think less of me if I... I admitted I liked it?" Lina's eyes widened, slightly in shock but mostly in surprise. "Y... you did...?" Ser's eyes glowed brighter as she nodded. "Hai, I did, Lina-san..." Lina stared at her, not really sure what to do. She.. she liked what we did...? L-sama, how can I tell her I did too... Coming to a decision, Lina stepped closer to the blond girl. Ser stared back, a little nervous and hopeful. Lina reached up with both hands and took a gentle hold of Ser's face, looking into her eyes. Ser stared back, eyes shining brightly. The red head leaned forward slowly and lightly brushed her lips over Ser's, closing her eyes. The healer shivered slightly and wrapped her arms gently around Lina's waist, pulling her closer. The two girls kissed softly, enjoying each other's touch. Never had either young woman felt so safe or accepted. What seemed like hours later, Lina gently broke the kiss and opened her eyes. Ser shivered and opened her's as well. They stared into each other's eyes a few more moments, blue and red. "Did you enjoy that too, Ser-chan...?" She smiled and hugged Lina tightly, resting her head on Lina's shoulder. "Hai, I did Lina-chan... thank you..." Lina smiled lightly, stroking Ser's hair. "You're most welcome..." "Are you sure you won't stay and teach us, Seraya-sama?" Zel groaned and shook his head, Amelia was still trying to convince Ser to stay at Sailoon and teach their healers more powerful spells. Ser never changed her minds, though, she wanted to travel with the slayers. "Unless you traveled with us, Ame-san and I taught you, then you could come back and teach the other healers." Amelia's eyes turned starry. "You would do that? Domo arigato, Seraya-sama!" The princess hugged Ser enthusiastically, causing her to blush. The other slayers sighed collectively. "So where are we going again," Gourry asked as the five headed out of the palace. "Malfia, of course, where we were headed before this whole thing started," Lina answered then started down the road, her friends behind her. He chuckled lowly. "I will get her back... perhaps not very soon, but I will get her back... and by that time you'll not be able to protect her..."
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