Alyson slammed the dorm room door and wearily dropped her heavy bookbag on the floor. Grabbing a cup, she poured herself some orange juice, and downed it in one gulp.
"What do they think they're doing?" she yelled to no one in particular, crushing the cup in her hand. "Assigning two Position Papers due on the same day!!!"
She took a deep breath, and sighed. "Oh well," she thought to herself, "It could be worse. I think I'm due for a little break, though."
She opened up one of her drawers, and pulled out the first tape of Slayers TRY. She popped it into her VCR, and could feel herself start to relax as Lina and Gourry began fighting over food.
After a bit, Alyson noticed that her TV screen was getting fuzzy. Her brow furrowed, and she got up and boinked her TV, trying to get the picture to clear. On screen, Gourry had just lifted Filia's skirt to look at her tail. Alyson whacked her TV again, and the screen suddenly began to glow white; long arms of white light shot out and enveloped her, dragging her into the TV. The VCR stopped, cutting off the tape, but leaving some soap opera on the TV.
A few moments later, the door opened again and Alyson's roommate, Sherri, came in.
"Hey, Alyson," Sherri began, only to find the room empty. She noticed Alyson's bookbag, and figured she had gone to get something to eat. She shrugged and put it out of her mind.
Lina gazed out into the distance, and just managed to spot Gourry's floating form. She sighed.
"I wonder why he did that?" Lina muttered.
"He probably got frustrated," Zel replied, and received a blank look from Lina.
"Huh?"
"Never mind."
"Guess we can't leave him out there...." she began, but before she could complete her sentence, strange, bluish clouds began gathering and swirling over the area where Gourry was. There was a flash of light, and something could be seen falling from the sky. It hit the water in about the same area as Gourry, and the clouds vanished as swiftly as they came.
"What was that?!" Lina stared.
"I don't know, but I sensed great power within those clouds," Zel replied.
"What ever it was, the answer lies out in the ocean. Come on, Zel!" Lina cried, cast her Levitation spell, and went out to fetch Gourry.
Zelgadis sighed, cast a Raywing, and followed her. What they found startled both of them, for a young woman was floating face up in the ocean, her eyes closed. He pulled her out of the water while Lina fetched Gourry, and they flew back to the tavern, where Lina placed Gourry on one bed, and Zel placed the young woman on another.
Before they had a chance to get a better look at her, Gourry moaned and sat up. Lina instantly began yelling at him, while Zelgadis repeated his statement that he thought Gourry was frustrated, only with more elaboration.
The first thing Alyson became aware of were the voices. Then she became aware that her head hurt like the very devil.
"I think you were just frustrated from not getting Lina into the sack," a smooth sounding male voice penetrated her brain. It sounded familiar, but Alyson, at that moment, couldn't figure out why.
"No! She had a tail!" a not so deep male voice replied. This one also sounded familiar, and so did his words. Alyson finally managed to place the voices. She remembered that she had been watching Slayers TRY, and they had just gotten up to the point when Gourry was knocked into the ocean, when. . . something happened. At this point, Alyson's mind refused to supply the answers to this puzzle, so she figured that she must have fallen asleep.
"Didn't know I was that tired," she thought to herself. Then another thought invaded her poor aching brain. Why could she understand what Gourry and Zelgadis were saying, when she only had the fansubbed series of Slayers TRY, and she only knew about 12 Japanese words and phrases all total? She groaned as she tried to open eyes that felt really swollen.
"She's waking up!" she heard Lina's voice say. When did she say that in the series? Alyson's eyes finally pried themselves open, and she found herself staring at three very familiar faces, but not quite in the way she had expected. "HELLO!" her brain screamed. " You're supposed to be in your room watching these characters on TV, yet here you are, being stared at by these very same characters! Am I the only one that sees anything wrong with this picture?!" Alyson didn't say these words, however. What came out of her mouth sounded like, "AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!" Without knowing it, she had risen to her feet and was backing away from the stunned trio, holding her hands out in front of her as if to ward off demons.
"Um, why is she doing that?" Gourry wondered.
Lina didn't answer. Instead, she was giving the newcomer a look over. She was definitely taller and older than Lina, maybe around Zel's or Gourry's ages. She was dressed in a dark green, short sleeved shirt, and a pair of light blue shorts. Strange white shoes were on her feet. Her hair, which had looked white underneath the sunlight, was a very light blue color, and hung down her back, long and straight. Her eyes were what surprised Lina the most, though. They were a pure golden color and were slit, like a demon's, but they reflected light, unlike Xeros' did. At this moment, her golden eyes were taking up over half of her face, and were filled with shock. However, Lina herself was in for an even greater shock when she scanned the young woman with her Magical Sight. She had so much Power inside her that Lina wondered why she didn't glow with it, and it wasn't one particular Type of Power, either. It was as if someone had removed a lid and dumped a mixture of White Magic, Black Magic, Shamanist Magic, and something else that was unidentifiable. However, this Power was unrealized, as if the woman didn't know it was there. Lina tried to ponder this, when the woman screamed again, startling her out of her thoughts.
Alyson couldn't stop screaming. She new it was stupid and that she was being a ninny, but the total shock had caused her brain to totally freeze up on her. Unfortunately, her vocal chords hadn't gone the way of her brain. It was only when she started to make pathetic whimpering sounds, roughly in the area of, "This is a dream, this is a dream," was she able to snap herself out of the worst of her shock. By this time, Zelgadis had pulled his cowl up over his head, and part of his turtle neck up over his face. Gourry looked confused, and Lina was eyeing her as if she wasn't sure just what to do with her.
"Are you finished?" Lina asked, and Alyson blinked, still staring at her, not believing what she was seeing with her own eyes.
"Maybe she can't talk," Gourry suggested, when Alyson hadn't responded for several seconds.
"Gourry," Lina said impatiently, "she was screaming her head off a few moments ago, I think she's more than capable of speaking."
Alyson's mouth moved, but no sound came out. She furrowed her brow in annoyance, and tried again. "I . . . I'm sorry about that," she said.
"That's better. Would you mind telling us who you are and why you were trying to scream the house down?" Lina asked, taking a seat at a nearby table.
"I need to verify something first," Alyson said, and then pinched herself on her arm, hard. "Nope, it's not a dream; that hurt. Um, you can take your cowl off your head. I wasn't screaming at you," she remarked to Zel, who started a bit, but finally pulled down the lower half of his mask and pushed the cowl back.
Alyson leaned forward a bit, and stopped. Her hair, which was cut to a length just below her jaw line, didn't swing forward like it always did. She reached up, and pulled a length of her hair in front of her face, and just stared at it. She then startled everyone by jumping and running to the nearest mirror, where she stared at her altered reflection.
"Wha....what am I?" she asked, touching a finger to the area just below one golden, demon like eye.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Lina asked, confused.
Alyson pulled herself away from the mirror, and sank down into a nearby chair, covering her face with her hands. After a moment, she lifted her head, and gazed at the three people she never thought she would ever meet in person.
"I think I need to clarify something," she said.
"That would help!" Lina grumped.
"My name is Alyson. I'm 19, and I'm not from here."
"That's obvious," Zelgadis remarked.
"No, you don't understand. I'm not from this world!" Alyson cried.
"Huh?" Gourry asked. The others tuned him out for a moment.
"Another world?" Zelgadis asked.
"Yes. I don't know how it happened, but I must have been sucked into my TV," Alyson replied.
"TV?" Lina asked, blinking.
"Um, yeah, it's kinda like a large box that has images projected through it. From it, I know a lot about your travels, Lina Inverse, Gourry Gabriev, and Zelgadis Greywyrs."
"How do you know our names?!" Lina demanded.
Alyson sighed, "Long story...."
After about two hours of talking, with Alyson telling the everything she knew about TVs, VCRs, and what she knew about Lina and company from watching her tapes, she ended with saying that she knew they had just met a young blond woman named Filia. She found, though, that whenever she tried to remember what happened in Slayers TRY after the third episode, her mind went completely blank. She knew she had seen most of the series, but she just couldn't remember what happened. She shook her head, figuring it wasn't important.
"I wonder who brought you here, and why," Lina mused, while Zel looked thoughtful.
"I don't know. It's not like I'm someone really important or anything," Alyson replied. Lina gave her a sharp glance.
"How much should I tell her, and how much does she already know?" she thought to herself. "If I had the kind of Power that she has stored inside her, I would be the most powerful person in the world."
"Well, it's been a long day, and you've been through a lot. Why don't you head up to bed? You can use my room," Lina offered. Alyson gave her a tired, but grateful look, and proceeded to take her up on her offer. Once she was out of the room, Lina leaned back in her chair.
"What are you thinking, Lina?" Gourry asked.
"She's .... strange, but I believe her," Lina replied.
"Did you Sense the same thing I did?" Zelgadis asked.
"You mean about her massive Power Level? Yeah, I did. I just wonder if she even knows about it. Judging from the way she said she was no one important, I honestly don't think she does," Lina answered.
"Huh? Power Level?" Gourry asked, throughly confused.
"Let me see if I can explain this. Everyone has their own Magical Power Level. What it is, is everyone has a certain capacity for magic. However, how that capacity is used is up to the individual person. For instance, you have a very low Power Level, Gourry, but it's enough to where you're a very strong swordsman and the Sword of Light is a powerful tool in your hands. Zel and myself, however, have very high Power Levels, which is why I can cast the Dragon Slave with such ease, and he can cast any Shamanist Power. Alyson has such a massive amount of Power inside her, that with one snap of her fingers she could cast a spell that would rival the Dragon Slave. And it's not just one Type of Magic, either."
"Type?" Gourry wondered.
"Yeah, in magic there are three basic Types. There's Black Magic, such as what I use, White Magic like what Sylphiel uses, and Shamanism, which Zelgadis and Amelia use. Not only does she have all three Types, but there's something else there that I can't put my finger on," Lina mused.
"So basically, what you're saying is that she is very powerful, and we should stay on her good side?" Gourry asked.
"Well, that's one way to put it. But like I said earlier, I don't think she's aware of her Power," Lina replied, then yawned. "It's been a long day for all of us, let's get some sleep."
"Ok!" Gourry grinned, and Zel nodded his agreement.
The next day, while Prince Phil regaled the crowds with tales of how justice was going to guide them during their mission, Lina and the others, plus one, watched out in the crowds.
"Hey! That's Amelia! Zel, look, it's Amelia! AMELIA!" Lina began yelling and jumping up and down. Alyson watched as the young princess looked frantically around, and remembered how Amelia hadn't wanted to be spotted in the first place at the start of this journey.
"Where is Filia?" Zel asked no one in particular.
"I'm right here," came a soft voice behind them, and everyone turned to see Filia walking up to them. Alyson, knowing what was coming, tuned out the conversation behind her, and watched all the activity with interest. She didn't tune back in until she heard Lina yelling, "Wha .. What just happened?!" which signaled that Filia had vanished in order to transform into her dragon form.
Alyson blinked when Lina grabbed her by the arm and started hauling her towards the platform where Amelia was standing.
"Come on! It's been a while since we last saw her. Let's see how she is!" Lina cried excitedly, as she barreled through the guards who were there to keep strangers off the platform where the royal family was.
"Yahoo, Amelia, how are you?!" Lina asked, several guards hanging off her as she waved at the cringing Princess. Amelia reached over and grabbed a funny mask, and tried to pretend that she didn't know what Lina was talking about. Lina wasn't fooled, and the arrival of Prince Phil foiled Amelia's attempts to not be noticed.
"Oh, Amelia, this is Alyson! She kinda . . . . dropped in on us," Lina said, pulling Alyson, who had been hanging around in the background, forward.
"Pleasure to meet you," Amelia smiled, then turned to Lina, "Um, Lina, as much as I would love to chat, I have errands that I need to run...."
"What are you talking about?" Lina asked with a wink. Suddenly, a roar filled the air, and everyone turned to watch as a large gold dragon launched itself off of a tower, and zoomed it's way towards the spectators. The wind of it's super sonic passing caused dirt, rocks, and shattered wood to fly about, while Gourry and Zelgadis took positions to protect the others from the worst of the debris. Alyson coughed as she breathed in a lung full of air.
"Just to see our powers?" Lina mused aloud.
"What?! Do you know something about this, Lina?" Amelia demanded.
"Yeah, I think so," Zelgadis answered, just as the dragon made another dive bombing pass.
"Yep, it's definitely after us! Let's go, Gourry, Zel, Amelia, Alyson!" Lina yelled as she dashed up one of the nearby mooring ropes of one of the ships, with Gourry and Zelgadis right on her heels. Amelia picked up a nearby valise, and sighed with resignation.
"Why do I always get pulled into things like this?!" she demanded of no one in particular.
"Because Lina has a very forceful nature and is a natural leader," Alyson answered, as the princess and she made their way up to the ship the others had confiscated.
"Yeah, I guess you're right," Amelia replied as they climbed on board.
Lina had a brief scuffle with the captain of the ship, until the dragon made another pass, after which the captain abandoned ship, leaving the others behind. Amelia quickly took command, and a fierce battle began. The first to go was everyone other than Lina, Gourry, Zel, Amelia, and Alyson, who had grabbed hold of the main mast with a death grip. Every time Filia, for she knew it was Filia, made a pass at the ship, Alyson closed her eyes, certain that she was going to be swept overboard.
"Why don't you help?!" Lina yelled over at Alyson.
"But how?! I don't know any magic, and I don't have any abilities, either!" Alyson yelled right back, not letting up on her grip.
"Well, that solved that question. She has no idea," Lina thought to herself, then turned her attention back to the dragon. While the dragon turned tail and began to fly away, Lina quickly chanted the Dragon Slave, and sent the wave of dark red energy towards the dragon, which vanished. While Lina was yelling victory, Alyson tightened her grip on the mast, already seeing the huge tidal wave that was headed towards them. Shortly thereafter, while everyone else screamed, the tidal wave broke over the ship and the surrounding area, completely demolishing the port they had come from. When things had sort of settled down, Amelia handed Lina the telescope. Upon seeing the damage, Lina decided to take immediate action. She decided to run away. After convincing everyone and getting the ship under way, she settled down a bit, watching the landscape slide by. Alyson eased herself out of the Alyson-shaped dent she had made in the mast, and made her way over to Lina, curious.
"Hey, Lina, can I ask you something?" she asked the redheaded sorcerous.
"Sure, ask away!" Lina said cheerfully.
"Why did you ask me about helping you guys? It was almost as if you felt that I would actually be able to contribute to the fight. Also, why do my eyes look like a demon's, but they reflect light?" Alyson mused out loud.
"Have a seat, this might take a bit," Lina said seriously, deciding that Alyson deserved to know about her Power. "For starters, I'm guessing that, like Zel over there, you're one part demon, but it's such a small part that it has no reaction whatsoever on your eyes except to give you the demon's slitted eye. As for why I asked why you weren't helping, well . . . . "
Several moments...about a thousand questions...later, Alyson sat back with a stunned look on her face. This was going to take a lot of getting used to....