Chapter Nine

Fight Shabranigdo!
Matters of the Soul
Are as Complex as Those of the Heart.

        Lina took a step backwards. Damn! Why are the evil ones always so good-looking? She clutched the Philosopher’s Stone to her chest, and suddenly felt it react to the magic of her armor. As she watched in surprise, it slipped out of her hand and was absorbed by the breastplate of her armor.
        The blue eyes narrowed. “That was foolish, human. Now I shall simply have to kill you in order to take it.”
        Lina scowled, looking up at the figure before her. “I’m not exactly human, in case you’d forgotten. And the way I figure it, I’m a little more powerful than the last time we matched up.” She, of course was referring to Kuroryu.
        “Powerful you may be, but you are still a human at heart.” He extended his hand and the surprised form of Gourry Gabriev shimmered into being in his grasp. “I wonder what you would do to protect this mortal human.”
        Lina gasped, taking a step forward, her hand outstretched. “Gourry!”

        Gourry sneezed as he looked up from his plate of food. “Huh?”
        Everyone looked at him. He blinked, disoriented, looking around. “Did someone just call my name?”
        Amelia, frozen with her fork still in her mouth shook her head. She removed the fork and swallowed. “No, Mister Gourry. Nobody that I heard called.”
        Gourry nodded and went back to his food. Well, that was a relief. But he could have sworn that he’d heard Lina call out his name…
        Golunova pulsed at his side, and suddenly, he heard Lina’s voice again, calling him.
        Kira looked up and across the table. “What was that?”
        Aqua put her glass down and looked at Kira. “I felt it too.”
        Amelia and Zelgadis looked at each other, lost.
        Aqua stood suddenly, looking across the table at Gourry with shock, all color draining from her face. “Sweet Cepheid!”
        Everyone looked at her.
        Gourry simply blinked. “What?”
        Kira turned to look at Gourry, then rose, and fell to one knee. As Amelia turned to look, Kira’s words and the sight of the glowing form behind Gourry brought every thought within the princess’ mind to a total halt. “It’s… Cepheid. Himself…”

        Lina checked herself. Gourry can’t be here. He’s not Chaos. The forces of natures here would kill him. It’s a trick; a trap and I nearly fell into it! With a snarl, she glared at the human form of Shabranigdo. “Nice try, pretty boy. That’s not Gourry.”
         Shabranigdo opened his hand and the image of Gourry faded. “Very astute, little human. Your swordsman is more than I thought he was. It had been my intention to bring him here and let you see the effect of Chaos on a mortal. However… something got in my way.”
        Lina smirked. So there were limits to Shabranigdo, hm? Well then… that evened up the odds a bit. “I’m your target, crab-face, why don’t you simply fight me?”
        “Because, Lina Inverse. You would be destroyed so easily. It wouldn’t be… fun.”
         Lina scowled, her sword flickering into existence in her hand. “Let’s see if we can make it fun, then. In case you hadn’t noticed, I’m the Knight of Chaos.” The golden shimmer flew up the blade, firing a bolt of pure Chaos at the Dark Lord, catching him in the shoulder.
        The Dark One turned sideways from the attack, then narrowed his eyes. “You truly wish to fight, then?”
        “L-Sama wouldn’t have it any other way,” Lina replied easily, bringing her blade to ready.

        Zelgadis was beginning to believe that being in this particular group of people lent itself to having powerful visitors, this latest being only the second most powerful he’d ever met. It was enough to make him irritable. Who wanted to be watched by the gods?
        Shabranigdo and the Chaos Knight are in battle. You know what this means.
        Kira and Aqua winced at Cepheid’s words. But they both knew that they could offer Lina no assistance. L-Sama had dictated it.
        Amelia’s concern for Lina overcame her awe at seeing the glowing form of Cepheid. “Is Miss Lina in trouble?”
        The silvery-white figure looked to the raven-haired girl. She is in danger. But she has bested him once now, and her guard yet holds.
        “Does she have the Stone?” Aqua asked sharply. “Does she have the Stone, Lord Cepheid?”
        Distant eyes focused on the living fragment. Yes.
        Aqua nodded. “Then we wait. Either Balance will be restored, or it will not. We can do nothing.”
        The Silver Lord nodded once, and then faded from view, revealing a purple-haired woman in silver armor.
        Luna Inverse collapsed on the floor behind Gourry’s chair.
        At once, Kira and Aqua darted to the fallen Knight’s side and decided that while she wasn’t injured, becoming the host for Cepheid had drained her. She would rest in a bedroom until she had recovered.

        The swords connected with such a violent clang that Lina’s arms almost went numb. He had the advantage of physical seeming strength, but she had the upper hand in speed. She wasn’t sure when he had produced his sword, but somewhere along the battle, she’d blocked a thrust of his blade, and after that, had been locked in a fierce fight.
        It wasn’t like the last fight, this time they were well matched and prepared. Lina attacked, turned, parried, countered. It was as if the entire thing had been choreographed and practiced for months in advance. It was dragging on.
        And she was getting tired of it. What do I have to do in order to contain him? I can’t let him have the Philosopher’s Stone… but I have to preserve the balance of power. I can’t simply destroy him…can I? An answer came to her as if she had known it all along. The Philosopher’s Stone spoke to her, telling her what it was that she must do. Balance must be restored. You must persevere, Chaos Knight.
        Lina heard the voice and lifted her hand, a spell coming to her lips that she hadn’t called. She was the Chaos Knight again, the coldness settling over her and the human aspect simply wasn’t aware anymore.
        “Darkness beyond blackest pitch, deeper than the deepest night! Lord of Darkness, shining like gold upon the Sea of Chaos, I call upon thee, swear myself to thee! Let the fools who stand before us be destroyed by the power you and I possess! GIGA SLAVE!!”
        Golden Chaos spilled out from Lina, boosted by the Philosopher’s Stone, and washed over them both.

        Luna Inverse, Amelia decided, was a bitch.
        The princess of Saillune stalked into the library and shut the door very quietly behind her. It wouldn’t do to slam the library door, even though after what Luna had said about Lina, she wanted to.
        Sisters should stand up for each other, right? Even though my sister ran off… I don’t think she’d say anything quite so mean about me…
        “Something bothering you, Amelia?” Aqua stood with a book in her hand, looking over the pages to regard the stormy girl who had just walked in.
        Amelia took a breath and sighed. “Lina’s sister is mean.”
        “Ah,” Aqua said, closing the book. “She’s awake?”
        Amelia only nodded.
        Aqua sighed. “Amelia, I cannot tell you anything useful in this situation. I don’t know Luna at all. But, I would imagine, that if she is anything like Kira and Lina… she’s worried about Lina.”
        Amelia couldn’t hold it back. “Then why does she say such mean things about Lina? Why did she say that Lina would probably screw up and lose the Philosopher’s Stone?”
        Aqua walked to a sofa and motioned Amelia to her. “Sit here for a moment, Amelia.”
        The princess walked over and sat quietly, looking at her hands clenched into fists in her lap. She was so upset that she didn’t know what to say, so she decided to say nothing, lest her tongue get in trouble.
        “When Kira gets scared and angry, she lashes out in ways she doesn’t mean. I’d think Lina is like that too,” Aqua said.
        Amelia nodded, silently staring at her hands and wishing that she’d had the strength to stand up for Lina.
        “In which case, wouldn’t you think that Luna is probably afraid for Lina, and angry that her sister has to do this on her own?” Aqua asked calmly.
        Amelia slumped in the sofa. “I’m worried for Lina too… but…”
        “Luna’s temper is worse than Lina’s is, Amelia.” Kira’s voice entered the room before she herself did. “Give Luna time. Luna never learned public niceness; she didn’t have to. She’s actually quite nice when you manage to get through to her. And something Lina has yet to learn is if she’d only truly stand up to Luna, then Luna would finally respect her.”
        Amelia sighed again. “But Miss Lina is terrified of her sister…”
        “I know,” Kira said softly. “And Luna knows it too.”

        Zelgadis was displeased. He had heard the entire exchange between Amelia and Luna.

        “Where’s the brat?”
        “Um… excuse me? I’m sorry, I don’t know who you’re talking about, Miss Luna…” Amelia’s voice had drifted down the hall, and Zelgadis had paused to listen.
        “Lina.” Luna’s voice.
        “Oh… she’s been sent by the Lord of Nightmares to retrieve the Philosopher’s Stone from the Sea of Chaos before Shabranigdo does.” It hadn’t been Amelia’s fault.
        “She’s supposed to what?” Luna had started laughing. “That runt is supposed to waltz into the Sea of Chaos and keep Shabranigdo from taking the Philosopher’s Stone? She’s already dead and doesn’t know it. Lina’s nothing but a failure, little princess. Even if she is the Chaos Knight.”
        Zelgadis had winced, and in doing so almost missed Amelia bursting from the room and running down the hall, away from him.

         He stood outside the door of the room where Luna was, debating with himself if he should walk in there and ask Luna why she had such a low opinion of her sister.
        He was spared the necessity when the door opened and Luna stepped out and looked at him.
        Grounded by anger, the chimera’s eyes flashed an aquamarine warning at the Knight of Cepheid, even though she was more powerful. He regarded her for a moment, and then turned to walk away. “I have faith in Lina,” he said coldly, not turning to look back at the purple-haired woman in the hallway.

        Luna scowled at the retreating form of the chimera. They were all so blindly loyal to Lina. Even though Lina had no concept of what she was or what she could do yet.
        “Ah, Luna! It’s so nice to see you again,” a voice came from the Mazoku in the shadow.
        “Stuff it, Xellos.”
        “Luna… Luna… your anger and hatred is so delicious. It is indeed a shame that you are a part of Cepheid,” violet eyes opened as he made the comment, baiting her.
        Luna drew her magic around her, opening a portal. “You can tell Kira that I left, Mazoku. Though, I doubt you’ll need to.” And then she stepped into the portal, drawing it closed behind her.

        She stood atop the Great Staff, looking down on the Four Worlds and marveled at the sight. She knew that she had not destroyed Shabranigdo. No, that had not been her intent. She had not anticipated the Stone taking her here, but now that she was here, she knew what it was that she must do.
        To prevent the continuation of the battles, she had to return the Philosopher’s Stone to that which it had come from: the Great Staff.
        No mortal hand or eye had ever touched or seen the Staff.
        Only the Lord of Nightmares Herself knew what it looked like.
        Until the Stone had Spoken to Lina.
        The Chaos Knight walked up to the black spot on the Staff, seeing the piece that was missing. Lifting her hand to her chest, she summoned the Philosopher’s Stone from within her armor.
        It came to her hand easily, and she caught it and placed it in the empty space that it had once been part of a long time ago. It glowed for a moment, and then the damaged section of the Staff rippled and smoothed.
        Balance was restored.
        She could go home.