Back in town, Lina looked the way they came. Amelia was panting for breath and glaring at Lina. Lina wasn't even winded or sweating from the long run.
"Miss Lina, how can you not be tired from all that?" Amelia asked.
Lina shrugged as she removed her left glove and looked at her hand that sparkled a bit in the moonlight.
"I'm a chimera with strange and unknown powers," Lina replied. "Let's get insdie the inn and when the guys wake up, I'll explain why we ran."
Amelia nodded, too tired to argue and went into the inn. Lina hesitated. She replaced her glove and felt a longing to confront Zuuma once more. There was a more insistent longing to head down to Zarev and deal with Diol and his employer. Somehow Lina knew that Diol's employer had done something that had appalled her and needed to be dealt with. Entering the inn, she went up to her room and stared at one of the shadows along the wall and concentrated. A dupliace of Lina stepped out of the shadow and knelt before her.
"Mistress Lina, I have heard your call and am ready to serve you," the duplicate of Lina said.
Lina saw that her duplicate was dressed in the same leotard that she was, but didn't have the glittering gemstone feel to her. Yellow feathered wings were folded along her back.
"Wh-who are you?" Lina stammered.
The girl looked up and Lina felt an odd jolt go through her.
"I am the oldest of those created by the Shadow Reflector. I have been recently turned into your servant as have all those created by te Shadow Reflector," the girl replied. "We are awaiting for you to name us, since you are the person we serve."
Lina swallowed heavily and felt the truth of the words that her reflection had said.
"Reina, please stand up and answer some questions," Lina said a bit uncomfotably.
The girl did so and nodded. "I am now known as Reina, as you have named me."
"Doesn't it bother you that your freedom was taken away?" Lina asked.
Reina looked out a window and replied, "I was the servant of Lagan before you sent him to jail. What we have become feels right for us. There is a part of me that still longs for freedom, but I know what I have become will serve more people."
Reina looked at the person she was copied from and smiled. "Mistress, I don't know why you are ashamed on how you look. This outfit that we all wear makes us look incredibly attractive. It is the mantle that adds a foot to our shoulder length that causes most of the problems."
Lina shook her head and put the personal comment aside, as she looked over her Shadow Reflection.
'This is really creepy. She's even wearing the same outfit that I am. Wait a moment. The outfit?'
"Reina? Are you able to change out of that outfit?" Lina asked.
Reian smiled and the wings vanished, as her leotard shifted to clothes that she had worn when she was first creatd by the Shadow Reflector.
"Like this Mistress?" Reina asked.
"Not exactly," Lina said slowly, having a very nerovus feeling at where this conversation was going.
"Like Mazoku and Shinzoku, your servants are able to change what they wear. We who look like you have red, orange or yellow wings and wear the same outfit that you do to reflect upon how you were fire sent from elsewhere to help humanity."
"Oh no. Not that silly story again?" Lina moaned, as she rubbed her head. "It claims that my body is made out of precious gems and that I'm a goddess."
"Mistress, you are a goddess," Reina informed Lina. "There are spells being cast that draw upon you. The main center for the group who worships you is in Zarev."
Lina blinked and narrowed her eyes, as she whispered, "Zarev? Okay. Thank you, Reina. As to the goddess bit, find out what I'm a goddess of. I guess you should go back."
Reina nodded and shifted back to the leotard and having yellow wings on her back. She went through a shadow back to the Shadow Realm. Lina removed her outfit and looked down at the leotard she was wearing. Taking a deep breath, Lina stepped in front of a mirror and concentrated. Two wings spread from her back. Unlike Reina's, Lina's wings were a mixture of red, orange and yellow and sparkled a bit in the light.
'This is my true form,' Lina thought and then blinked. 'Where did that thought come from?'
Lina concentrated a bit more and the wings dissappeared and she quickly put the clothes back on over her outfit.
'Unlike you Reina, I'm not comfortable with this,' Lina thought. 'It's going to take me some time to get used to it.'
Lina thought over what Reina had told her and grimaced. 'Me? A goddess? That can't be right. I will have some very harsh words for the person who enslaved the Shadow Relfections. I just wanted to forget them and leave them alone. So? Wings? I wonder how fast I can fly. After I deal with Diol and his employer, I'm going to see how they work.'
Lina lay down on her bed and looked up at the ceiling. 'More complications. If what Reina told me is true, it explains some of the odd thoughts I've been having. I have to get all the stories that portray me as a goddess and figure out how they are affecting my mind. I'll try to recall some, but I think I'll have to rely on Reina.'
Lina woke up in the morning, trying to convince herself that her meeting with Reina was just a bizarre dream: trying and failing. She sat down at one of the tables and waited for her friends to arrive. Soon, they showed up and had breakfast. Amelia kept looking at Lina a bit worried.
"Guys? Something happened last night," Lina said.
"You went bandit hunting," Gourry said.
"Yes. But, I met someone very nasty. Gourry, do you remember Zuuma?" Lina asked.
"What?" Zelgaids asked in a shock voice. "The two of you met Zuuma?"
Lina just nodded as Gourry thought about the question and nodded. His face suddenly paled, as the implication hit him.
"Lina, please tell me that you didn't meet him last night," Gourry said.
"I'm sorry Gourry. He showed up and there is more," Lina continued in a calm voice, as she tapped her chest right under her throat. "Thanks to my new nature, I sensed something that makes Zuuma even more dangerous. He has fused with the Mazoku Seigram. Even if I was still able to cast the Dragon Slave, it would have been a total waste of time. The Sword of Light can hurt him though."
"Seigram? He's the Mazoku, who managed to take a shot from the Sword of Light and survived, isn't he?" Gourry asked a bit pale.
"I'm surprised you could recall something like that," Lina said.
"Lina? He's an enemy that has sworn to kill you and hasn't been killed. I'm going to remember something like that," Gourry chided.
Lina shrugged and thought about Reina and what she told Lina. She shook her head and decided to not tell anyone yet of that visit.
"Anyway, Zuuma is not that important right now. What's going on in Zarev is," Lina continued. "If and when Zuuma shows up, Gourry you'll have to use your sword to kill him, with us backing you up."
"My sword? Lina, you don't want it anymore?" Gourry asked.
Lina blinked, as she thought of Gourry's question and reached out her senses to touch the Sword of Light. She shuddered at what she found.
"No, Gourry. I wanted it to study and to see how it was made. My new abilities have told me all I need to know and want to know about the Sword of Light or its proper name Gorun Nova. I'll have to see if there is another sword I can acquire for my own use," Lina replied, and then looked at Zelgadis. "I wonder..."
Lina reached out with her senses and felt Zelgadis' magical signature.
"I know how Rezo changed you, but I'm not sure how to undo it," Lina told Zelgadis.
Zelgadis was shocked at that and was about to say something, when Lina rolled her eyes and looked at the ceiling.
"Hello, Xellos. What are you doing here?" Lina asked.
"Impressive Miss Lina. You could sense me without turning around," Xellos said, as he walked up to the table.
Lina gave Xellos a level gaze. "It's an ability of this chimera body I now have. I can feel how magic items are created, which does include magical composition creatures such as Zelgadis."
"And yourself?" Xellos asked.
Lina gave a start and admitted, "I never thought of that. Give me a second."
Lina closed her eyes and turned the ability she used on Zelgadis inward and felt how her body was created. Her eyes flew open and she started breathing heavily in shock.
"This can't be right," Lina whispered. "It's not possible."
"Miss Lina?" Amelia asked.
Lina held up a hand and got herself under control. "I'm sorry guys, but I'm going to keep quiet about this for a bit longer. The plan still stands of the three of you dealing with the crazy old man and the person who hired him. They are still in Zarev. I can sense the crazy old man."
"How?" Zelgadis asked.
Lina gave a rueful smile. "Zel, recall what you once told me that Rezo could track you no matter where you were because you were technically one of his creations. My ability can work in reverse of that. If the person is still alive, I can sense where the person who created a specific magic item is. Since that crazy old man was the one to create this body for me, I can sense where he is. I don't think those two planned on that."
Despite her outward calm, Lina frantically thought, 'This can't be right. This body was created from Ruby Eye's blood and orihalcum, which is Cephied's blood. I'm one third Dark Lord, one third Shinzoku, and one third human. That talk with Reina actually happened.'
Lina took a deep breath and stared thoughtfully at Xellos. 'What is your game Mazoku? Are you here because of what's going on in Zarev or the problem with Seigram? Speaking of Seigram, I wonder if I can shield my mind from people like Halcyform.'
"Xellos? You know a lot about magic," Lina said. "There was a question I wanted to know about. It has something to do with a Mazoku I once met by the name of Seigram."
Xellos perked up a bit and smiled at Lina. "I might not tell you everything, but we'll see."
Lina gave an account of Gourry's and her meeting with Seigram in Atlas City and the battle with Halcyform. She went on to explain how Halcyform was telepathic and then about the pledge of immortality, but kept anything dealing with Rubia silent.
"Halcyform is dead, but in case I run into another telepath or something that can read minds is there something that can be done to shield thoughts or protect from attacks coming from the astral side?" Lina asked.
Xellos frowned and bit his lower lip. "Shinzoku, Ryuzoku, Mazoku, and elves have abilities like you mentioned, but it's impossible for a human to learn them."
Lina waved her hand towards Zelgadis. "Zel is part Brau Demon, which I understand is an evil elf."
Xellos looked at Zelgadis, as he explained. "Well, it's not like it's going to be of any real consequence, but shielding from the astral side is taking part of your inherent magic and imagining it wrapping around yourself like a blanket. For about a week, your magic will only be around seventy to seventy-five percent. As you work with it, you'll figure out new ways to protect yourself from attacks like that. It's a very personal defense and only the absolute basics can be taught to another person. Because you are part Brau Demon, you are more at risk from attacks from the Astral Plane. If you do manage to turn yourself back into a human, you'll lose that ability, but the need for it as well."
'And in my case, it is more than necessary,' Lina thought, as she quickly did as Xellos said. 'I will be working with this.'
"By the way Xellos, you never answered my question. What are you doing here?" Lina said.
"Oh? That? I intend to travel with you," Xellos said cheerfully.
"I take it you'll follow us no matter what I say," Lina said.
"Quite true," Xellos replied.
Lina glared at Xellos. "There is a crazy old man who turned me into a chimera and the person who hired him that I want alive. There are some questions I need answered and they can't answer them if they are dead. I also have the feeling that there is a situation in Zarev that requires non-lethal measures."
Even though he did his best, Xellos couldn't supress a shudder of fear that went trough him as Lina spoke.
"Very well, Miss Lina. I accept your terms," Xellos replied.
"If everyone has finished eating, we had better gather our stuff up and leave," Lina said.
The group went to their respective rooms to gather their things up, leaving Xellos to ponder what just happened.
'What in Lord Ruby Eye's name would I shudder in fear from a human, even if it is Lina Inverse? Miss Lina panicked when she used that sense on herself. I wonder if that has something to do with it,' Xellos thought, before shaking his head. 'At any rate, this Zarev situation has really fouled up Lord Gaav's plans.'
Read the comments on this episode
See other episodes by Disruptor
(Posted Sat, 30 Sep 2006 17:32)
Questions? Problems? Suggestions?
Send a mail to addventure@bast-enterprises.de
or use the contact form.
らんま1/2 © Rumiko Takahashi
All other series and their characters are © by their respective creators or owners. No claims of ownership of these characters are implied by the authors of this Addventure, or should be inferred.
The Anime Addventure is a non-profit site.