Prince Philionel had been dead for three years. At first it seemed the kingdom would go to his youngest child, but then his eldest daughter Gracia had come forward to claim the throne. She had run off after the death of her mother, had taken up the study of Black magic and had dubbed herself Naga the White Serpent. It seemed at first that the Bondage Queen of Darkness would be an even more air-headed monarch than her father, but all that changed when Lina Inverse had started the first attacks.
Lina's Mazoku army had been unstoppable. Cities were leveled in its wake, woman and children devoured openly in the streets of flaming wreckage. Princess Amelia had been the first denizen of Sailuune to witness the carnage of Lina's army, and she had returned to her kingdom with her innocence shattered. Her sister had listened gravely to the tales of rape and torture, then grimly vowed to protect her people. The residents of Sailuune by this point believed nothing could stop the dreaded sorceress and Mazoku Lord, and in their hearts had no faith in their newly-crowned queen. They thought soon they would all be occupying apartments with the worms.
As it turned out, they were wrong.
Naga the Serpent had been a vain, boastful woman. However, she had also been an extremely talented sorceress, skilled like her sister in White Magic by their mother, who was an adept. After her untimely death, Naga had rejected the passive magic she'd been taught and immersed herself in the Dark Arts. As a result, she had a breadth of spells to call upon. Also, years of travelling had well prepared her to deal with confrontations.
Also, unbeknownst to most, Naga the Serpent had once had a travelling companion, a young girl named Lina Inverse.
Naga had, in her own peculiar way, loved that girl. Destructive she had been, yes, and more than apt to throw a fireball or two at her busty associate, oh yes, but she had been a sweet enough girl underneath it all, with a purity and vivacity that was truly enchanting.
The Lina Inverse leading the Mazoku forces was not the same girl, of this Naga was certain.
"You're absolutely right," Zelgadis Greywers said after quietly absorbing all the strange queen had just told him. "She's not the same at all. She's been corrupted by the Giga Slave, her and Gourry both. Where I come from, Lina is still the girl you knew."
"The Giga Slave..." It was an almost reverent whisper. Queen Naga nodded. "I would like to believe you," she told the chimera seated before her. "I cannot bear to think that this was how the world was intended to end."
"Where is Princess Amelia?" Zelgadis asked. He knew that in this world, they never would have had the chance to meet, but he still wouldn't mind seeing if any of the Amelia he knew existed. Then again. Perhaps it was better not to find out.
"She's out reviewing battle strategies. I must say, she's become quite adept at the game of war."
Yes, better not to find out. He wasn't sure he could face an Amelia whose innocence had been replaced by bloodlust and anger.
"I think I can heal this world," Zelgadis said, leaning forward to look the queen in her steely eyes. "But it involves me getting back into that damned tower of hers. I'm not sure if I can do it alone."
"You need my help, of course," Naga replied, a trifle arrogantly.
"Yes. But it won't be easy. I had help before, from a former Mazoku priest - "
"Xelloss? The Trickster? Poor bastard."
"You know of him?"
"Everybody does. I've seen him myself, on a few occasions, wandering along the blasted landscape with absolutely nowhere to go to. He hates Lina with a passion. Understandably, I guess. Not only did she take away all of his power, but she's also tormenting the one thing he ever cared about."
"His mistress," Zelgadis muttered. "At any rate, he tried to help me and wound up getting his ass captured."
Naga stood up, an imposing figure to say the least. "Very well. I will help you, Zelgadis Greywers, although I should probably dismiss you as a lunatic. Come with me, we shall plan an attack."
Night crept in with silent cat's paws, stalking the sun until it hid itself below the horizon like a frightened mouse. Lina Inverse and her faithful bodyguard had retired to bed, although they were not getting much sleep. Guards were posted at all entrances and exits, save their bedroom door. It was at this time that the Serpent struck.
Two Mazoku sentries were standing at the main entrance to the tower, speaking to each other in the guttural half-language of all lesser demons when the ground shook and a huge stone dragon rose from the earth. They had time to blink in surprise before the dragon descended, crushing them instantly.
"Impressive," Zelgadis Greywers remarked. Naga flipped her hair as if to say You expected anything less?
The earth trembled again, and there were more shouts from above. The Mazoku sentry guarding the cell ran upstairs, leaving the sole prisoner almost unguarded. Xelloss lifted his head when there were more screams from above him, and the walls of the building actually shook a little. So, the chimera was back. He smiled. Now to get out of these chains.
He turned his head to face the figure hiding in the gloom. "Shilfiel? Is that your name?" he asked softly, so as not to frighten her. The girl nodded. "Could you maybe see your way to letting me out of these shackles? Just for a second? My wrists really hurt."
The girl started forward, then stopped. "But, Gourry-sama said," she began in a small, frightened voice. Xelloss put on his most winning smile, one that he had practiced over centuries. Shilfiel relaxed, and tentatively returned the grin.
"Am I in any state to harm you?" he asked. The girl slowly shook her head and started forward again.
"Don't try to escape," she said, attempting to make her voice sound threatening. She removed a sharp dagger from her robes, the blade gleaming dully. "Gourry-sama told me not to let you escape." When Xelloss made no reply, she moved forward again, this time producing a key from her robes. She unlocked the manacles that held his hands prisoner, taking them in her own. "Your poor wrists," she murmured. She cast a healing spell, closing the red gashes.
"Alright," she said when she was finished. "I have to lock you up again now." She sounded sorry enough, but Xelloss knew she would do whatever her 'Gourry-sama' asked. As a servant himself, he could understand her desire to please, but her master was a cruel, heartless man who felt no love or respect for her at all. Pathetic.
"He doesn't love you," he told her quietly. Her jaw tightened.
"Liar. Now hurry up, back on your feet."
"Very well," he sighed. "Could you perhaps help me - ?"
"Of course," she replied gently, getting one arm under his, trying to help lift him back to a standing position. Although his reflexes were nowhere near as fast as they had once been, Xelloss was still quicker than the girl. He snatched the dagger from her untrained hand and plunged it into the side her upraised arm had exposed. She made a surprised little 'urk' noise, then stumbled backwards, her ass thudding as she slid down the wall to the ground.
"B-but I helped you," she managed to say. She sounded confused, weak and afraid.
"And I'm helping you." He bent over and kissed her eyelids lightly. "Although you don't know it." He rose then and exited the cell carefully, checking for guards as he crept out into the passageway.
In the dungeon, Shilfiel cried her last tears alone. "Gourry-sama," she cried out softly, but of course, he was no more there for her than he had ever been. And so she died.
"RAH-TILT!"
The Mazoku soldiers were vaporized instantly, their astral forms blown to shreds. Zelgadis and Naga continued to move forward as they slaughtered the Mazoku ranks, both knowing they had precious little time before Lina Inverse and her bodyguard descended from their chamber to kill them both.
"Zelgadis!"
The chimera turned, recognizing the voice instantly. It had, after all, taunted him on innumerable occasions. "Xelloss? You're alive!"
"Barely," the former priest said with a wink and a smile. "Now hurry, follow me."
"You know how we can fix this whole mess?" Naga asked, and the Trickster nodded.
"Yes, but we have to be quick. She's coming."
The trio ran, following Xelloss. "How do you know so much?" Naga managed to ask as they raced through stone passageways.
"That's a secret," Xelloss called back over his shoulder. "Now hurry, no time for foolish human questions!"
The three would-be heroes came face to face with their worst fear as soon as they threw open the vault doors. Lina Inverse stood in the center of the room, with her lover behind her, the Sword of Light unsheathed and buzzing.
"Shit," Zelgadis said tiredly.
"Indeed." Lina Inverse strode forward a few steps, her eyes cruel and distant. "Gourry, kill them."
"OHHOHOHOHO!!!"
The blonde swordsman stopped in his tracks, and Naga the Serpent stepped forth. "Do you remember me, Lina? You poor deluded, flat-chested little girl! Do you honestly believe you can just sic your pet boy-toy on ME? OHHOHOHOHOHO!!!"
"Naga," the younger girl said in a tone of some wonderment. "What a lovely surprise. Too bad I know you don't have the stomach for blood. Get her, Gourry!!"
Gourry charged, howling like an animal. Naga tensed, then at the last possible second she ducked and withdrew the sword she always had strapped to her side. She thrust it upwards, and the swordsman's own momentum helped the blade slice his body open. His blue eyes went wide with pain and surprise.
"GOURRY!!!!!!" The scream was torn from Lina's throat, and she was casting her spell before her lover's body even hit the ground. "FIREBALL!"
Naga whirled and barely had time to out up a shield. "I've changed a lot since you knew me Lina!" she cried. "Almost as much as you have, it would seem!"
"You should have stayed away, Naga," Lina said with bogus regret.
"DEMONA CRYSTAL!" Naga shouted, but before her spell could do more than begin to rush towards the other sorceress a bolt of blood-red light slammed through her chest, exiting out her back. Naga gasped and fell backwards, blood spurting from both entry and exit wounds. Lina smiled cruelly, and then Xelloss was on her back, locking his arms around her neck. She began to scream and writhe, tying to buck him off, and she bit down on his arm with ferret-like teeth.
"Zelgadis!" Xelloss shouted. "The mirror! It's at the end of the hall, no go! Hurry!"
Zelgadis fled down the shadowed hall, and behind him Lina Inverse threw Xelloss over her back so he landed hard against one wall. She advanced, her eyes terrible and horrifying. She leaned forward, grinning like a dead carp. "I still have your bitch," she whispered. "And I'm not going to kill her. She's going to live hard."
Xelloss launched himself at the girl, aware that that was exactly what was expected of him. The Sword of Light buzzed into life once more, and Lina thrust it through his abdomen. She yanked it out again and ran off, chasing Zelgadis, intent on bloodshed.
Alone with corpses, Xelloss leaned back and sighed.
You did well. The chimera will set things right.
"I did my best," he whispered s his life force drained from his body and the world dimmed. "Have mercy on him please... L-sama...."
Demon speed has its advantages. Zelgadis raced to the end of the hall, eyes searching frantically. There, in the corner. The mirror was old and dusty, but undeniably the same one his Lina had found. He stopped in front of it, and heard a small voice at his ear.
Hurry, you haven't much time. That which is wrong you must now set right.
"Yes," he whispered, as Lina came rushing at him, screeching like a madwoman. He cast the same spell Lina, his Lina, had cast on the mirror in his world: a simple Boost, a spell that simply activated artifacts. As soon as he did, the same white light he had seen before erupted from the mirror. He felt something pierce his stone skin, and looked down to see the Sword of Light's tip protruding from his chest. But the pain was distant, unimportant. Everything was consumed, erased, by the light, and this time he was not jerked away.
white
"Ooooooh, Forget this!" she exclaimed. "I'm gonna cast a Boost on this baby and see what happens."
"Miss Lina?' Amelia ventured. "Are you sure that's a good idea?"
"Amelia," Lina began, looking over her hunched shoulders at the younger girl. "Are you questioning my judgement?" Amelia backed up a step or two, and uttered a nervous laugh, waving her hands a little in negation.
"Of course not Miss Lina! Aheh, heh heh heh..."
"Good!" Lina said briskly.
Lina stood before the mirror, eyes closed as she prepared for the incantation. Zelgadis for some reason glanced over at Xelloss, who had a rather curious expression on his face. The trickster appeared to be thinking seriously about something for a change. "Then lets get this show on the road!"
Zelgadis blinked, as though he had awakened from a deep sleep. He hadn't been paying attention. For a moment there he had thought he was someplace else. He looked up in time to see Xelloss' eyes widen in sudden shock as he realized where he'd seen a mirror like this one before.
"Lina, no, don't do it!" the trickster shouted, moving forward to stop the spunky sorceress from casting the spell. But by a slip of Fate he tripped over Gourry, who was still sitting in the middle of the floor. Gourry's dreidel spun out of his hands, flying through the air as the mirror began to glow. The little wooden toy struck the mirror dead-on, shattering the glass into a million shining fragments.
"BAKA!!!" Lina screeched, kicking the priest's upturned derrière. "Now we'll NEVER know what it does!!"
For some reason, Zelgadis felt a sense of relief at hearing these words. Strange.