Diclaimer: Slayers and Ranma 1/2 not mine. Story plot created by me is for fun.

Heir to Chaos: Black Chaos

Chapter 2: Deeper Than the Deepest Night

Lina sat up from her bed groggily. She wanted to go back to sleep but something had woken her up. With heavy eyes she looked to the window.

"It's still dark out, maybe a few more minutes then…" with that murmur, she fell back to the pillows and pulled the covers above her head.

"Lina, it's time to get up," Gourry said. He was in the middle of lighting a candle.

"Are you blind? Look outside, it's still too early," Lina muttered.

"But, Lina, according to the innkeeper, it's well past breakfast. It's almost noon."
Lina shot up from bed. "WHAT??!!!"

"Yeah, something strange---"

"You mean I missed breakfast?" she peered suspiciously at Gourry. "You probably ate without me, didn't you?"

Gourry held his hands out in front of him and shook his head. "No, ofcourse not Lina. I wouldn't eat without you. I had to get a glass of water and saw that the dining area had customers already. I asked the innkeeper who was passing by and he told me that it was late morning already and that something weird is going on."

Lina absorbed this and turned to the window again. She climbed out of bed and looked out the glass barrier. There were people walking around below. Torches were lit because there was no sun.

"What the heck?"

"That's what I mean. I asked the innkeeper if he knew what was happening but it looks like nobody knows."

"The day is gone…" She whirled to face Gourry. "I'm getting dress. Go and get some supplies downstairs, we'll eat lunch and be on our way. I intend to find out what is happening."

After a hearty brunch, Lina and Gourry set off. Both kept their eyes and ears alert for anything that might explain the oddness of the day. They walked down the main streets of Atlass hoping to find a mage who might have a clue. Then they decided to head to the ports so that they could listen to what stories and rumors the sailors from abroad might have to tell.

"It all happened at once. One minute we were all watching the sun sinking into the sea, the next minute it was gone and dark clouds had formed." Several sailors were huddled together and telling stories of their travels.

"Yeah, we were lucky that we made it here alive. The ocean was spitting mad and tossing our ship as though it were but a rowboat."

"Well, it looks like it's the same around here, too. We were hoping that the weird magic thingy was only happening out in the sea."

Lina caught the string of words the sailor used. "Gourry, did you hear that? He said that this was all some weird magic that appeared out of nowhere."

"But how come you didn't know that Lina?" From anyone else, that statement could be compared to signing his death wish, but seeing that Gourry was the one to say it, Lina answered calmly without rancor.

"That's the strange part. If it were magic, how come I didn't sense it?"
"Maybe it's that time of the mo--"

Lina buried her elbow in his midriff instead of blasting him with a Dragon Slave, seeing as it was Gourry again. "It's not that time yet."
"S-sorry, uuughh!" Gourry groaned.

"Now, what we have to do is find a mage."
"How come, Lina?"

"Obviously some high level magic is at work here. If I can't sense anything and you can't sense anything, then hopefully somebody trained in magic might be able to. Once we can feel what everyone else is feeling, then maybe we'll have a better idea on how to go about finding out what the problem is. What I think is that someone put a spell on us, some sort of barrier."

"That makes sense."

"Let's go then. Geez, I wished Sylphiel was here, or Amelia, white magic users could probably cure us faster."

They walked down the street and finally found a building that boasted to be the main headquarters of the white magic guild in Atlass. Nobody answered their knock but when Lina tested the door, it was unlocked. Without further ado, she pushed it open and let herself and Gourry in. There were a few people, dressed in mage clothing, walking around but nobody paid the visitors any attention. Lina was getting really ticked off.

She went up to one of the mages and pulled at his sleeve. "Excuse me--?"

The mage pulled away. "Sorry, we're close for the day." He was muttering other excuses without really looking at Lina and Gourry.

Lina watched him walk away in stupefaction. Her mouth hung open in disbelief. "Close for the day??!! I didn't even know that they worked around hours." She tried to grab hold of another one. "Hey, you, listen I need help. Who can help me?"

The young man appeared to look distracted and Lina had to repeat her question a second time. Finally the mage's eyes took on a little more awareness. "Help? Uh--maybe Brom Whitemore can help. He's so far our most powerful white magic user in this branch of the guild."

Gourry felt bad for his friend. He looked around and noticed a door that was slightly ajar. He walked over and peeked inside the room where a lone man sat reading a thick volume. Gourry smiled, feeling relieved that there might be someone to help them out. "Excuse me, sir? Are you Brom Whitemore?"

"No, can't do anything for you," Brom Whitemore shook his head. He looked up at his uninvited guests.

Lina knocked Gourry over to rush to Brom's side. "What?! But they told me that you were the most powerful white magic-user in this guild. Surely a regular disenchant spell--"

"Haven't you heard the reports from Saillune, or the entire continent? This damn negative energy that's creating the darkness is weakening white magic. My powers are nearly down to half what they're usually are. A disenchant spell would put me to bed for two days at least!"

"Weakening the white magic…" Lina couldn't believe what she was hearing. A normal disenchant spell could have been done by someone of Brom's level. "What do you mean?"

Gourry frowned. "I feel sorry for Amelia and Sylphiel."

Brom peered at the two strangers in front of him. "Hey, just who are you two characters and how come you need a disenchant spell anyways?"

"Simple. I think someone put a spell on us and we woke up this morning to everyone else telling us that something is wrong. We can't feel anything magical about the dark clouds in the sky. So we think that someone put a spell on us so that we wouldn't know if there is anything wrong."
"Hmm--" Brom put a finger to his chin and thought. "You got any enemies?"
"Plenty," Gourry said cheerfully. "Several, in fact."

"Even though, why would they put a useless spell like this one on us?" Lina asked.

"Maybe they think that you're powerful enough to stop them if you find them out."

Lina nodded in agreement.

Brom stared at her, waiting. When she didn't say anything, he finally asked, "Well, do you know anyone who hates or fears you that much?"
Lina shook her head. "No. There's lots of the Mazoku race who hates us but…"

"Eh? Mazoku? Just who are you guys?"

"Sorry about that, sir," Gourry said sheepishly. "My name is Gourry Gabriev and this is my friend, Lina Inverse."
"L-Lina Inverse?!" Brom moved back quickly, fear springing into his eyes.

Lina looked at him with wide-eyed innocence. "Something wrong?"
"N-nothing, nothing at all, heh heh…" Brom was moving away from them. "Well, now that I've told you that I can't do anything for you, I'm just gonna be on my way."

"Wait a minute," Gourry said, reaching over and pulling Brom back by the neckline of his robe. "How come you're so afraid all of a sudden?"

Brom straightened, temporarily forgetting his fear as he said sarcastically, "Well let's see, your names are only attached to the defeat of the Demon- Beast Xanafar, Shabrinigdo, Hellmaster Phibrizzo and Darkstar…should I go on?"

"But that only makes us heroes, standing up for the rights of humans everywhere," Lina declared, her face full of self-righteousness and justice.

Brom continued, "… the destructors of New Sairaag, not to mention a good portion of Saillune as well as…"

"Heh, heh, no need to get carried away now…" Lina said. "Still Gourry is right. Most of the mage of this sub-continent have known me and Gourry for years. A lot of them know that we're mere travelers who get caught up in big problems involving demons."

Brom raised a disbelieving brow. A moment later his face crumbled into an expression of defeat. "Obviously you two have not heart the rumors then. You're right, there's more to it than the reputation that has preceded you both." His eyes took on a serious glint. "Mages in Saillune have telepathically broadcasted the rumors that they suspect you, Lina Inverse, to be behind this darkness."

"WHAT??!!"

***********************************************

"Father, how can you think that it would be Miss Lina?" Amelia demanded her father, emphasizing her point with a slam of her fist on the table. The other mages in the circle jumped an inch from their seats.

Prince Philionel tried to placate his strong-willed daughter. "Now, now Amelia…"

Amelia did not listen. Waving her fist in the air she declared, "I will not let anyone, not even Miss Lina, be barred from a just and fair hearing!"

"Amelia, we only suspect Lina because she is a strong black magic user…"

"But, father, she has fought against the strongest demons and won. She has never used her magic for evil purposes." Amelia could name a number of times Lina had used her magic for such purposes but she didn't think it will help in her defense.

"Well, then, daughter, who do you think is behind it if not Lina Inverse?"

Amelia looked uncomfortable. "Well, you know, there is another black magic user aside from Miss Lina?"

"You don't mean…?"

"Uh-- we haven't seen her for so long, maybe she's changed?"
"Doubt it, but do you really think she would've been capable or powerful enough to pull this off? Whoever did this has managed to weaken many of the white magic users in the continent."

Amelia started feeling the doubts but she just knew in her heart, which was crying out for justice, that it was not Miss Lina. She didn't know how, but she knew, and somehow she had to prove that to everyone else in the room.

"She could be right, your highness," one mage said, speaking timidly.

"Hmm, if there was only a way to find her and bring her back here--"

CRASH!!!!!!!!!!!

"Hohohohohohahhahahohooho!!!"

"Speak of the devil," Philionel muttered, along with the rest of the mages.

"Onee-chan!!" Amelia had turned around and was greeted by the sight of her sister.

"Never fear, Naga the White Serpent is here to save everyone from that infamous Lina Inverse! Hohohohoho!!!!"

*************************

"Sylphiel-sama, there's a traveler up ahead. Maybe we could ask him if he has had any news?"

Sylphiel squinted to where her companion was pointing and saw a lone traveler, his hood covering his face. She nodded agreement and nudged her horse to catch up to the traveler.

"Excuse me, sir--."

Zel looked up. "Sylphiel!"

"Zelgaddis-san!"

Zel became calm again. "I assume that you are on your way to Saillune?"

"Yes, the last message I received was from there."

"Yes, I heard the rumors too. Word travels fast."

"Unfortunately, that may have been one of the few magic spells that was cast from the white magic users in Saillune."

"Huh? What do you mean, Sylphiel?"

"I have felt the black energy drain my own white magic. My ability to cast white magic spells is close to half."

"WHAT??!!"

"That message from Saillune came to me about three days ago. I haven't heard anything since. And now that my magic has been weakened, I assume that the rest of the white magic users are the same. I cannot even cast a recovery spell on my horse without me lying down afterwards to rest."

Zelgaddis fell silent. He had thought that he had it bad. At least he could still cast his strongest spell, the Rae Tilt without too much trouble.

"Zelgaddis-san, are you alright?"
Zel snapped out of his thoughts. "Do you think that the rumors about Lina Inverse is true?"

Sylphiel shook her head emphatically. "Lina-san would never do anything like this. I'm sure of it. Especially since Gourry-sama is with her."

Zel agreed. Lina may be the most powerful black magic user, in addition to being manipulative and power hungry sometimes, but she would never harm anyone else knowingly.

"So why are you headed to Saillune? Did you hear whether Lina and Gourry are there?"

Sylphiel shook her head. "I want to see for myself what the researchers at the Guild say about this strange new magic. Because it affects them the most, I'm sure they are doubling their efforts to find out what is causing all this darkness." Sylphiel looked at him with innocence. "And you, Zelgaddis-san? Why are you headed to Saillune?"

Zel blushed, a picture of Amelia suddenly popping in his head. He gave himself a mental shake and replied, "Like you, I want to find out what is going on. And since Amelia is home, I figure there's a chance that Lina and Gourry may be visiting her."

"Lina is a wanted suspect, though."

"Then we better get there fast just in case she may need us."

Sylphiel grimaced. "More like saving the people of Saillune from her vengeful wrath. Knowing Lina-san, she will not take these accusations lightly."

Zel nodded grimly. "You're right. It will be best if we travel together then."

*******************************

"Yeah, and they think that it's Lina Inverse."

"Lina Inverse, who's that?"

"Idiot, remember that time when the staff of the world grew brighter?"

"Yeah, that was a few years ago, right? Magic users were running around saying that the end of the world was near."

"Well, it was close to being the end of the world. Anyway, Lina Inverse was in the thick of it. Teaming up with some mazoku and dragons and stuff. She's trouble, I tell ya."

"You don't say?"

Filia ceased listening to the gossip and concentrated on the dinner in front of her. After flying over an ocean, she was hungry. She looked over at Val and noticed that he was still listening to the group of men in the corner. "Val-chan, aren't you hungry?"

Val turned to face her. "Filia-oneesan, do you think that what they're saying is true?"

"There are a lot of things that they do not know about the incident at the staff of the world. You don't remember it too well but Lina Inverse helped saved you."

Val felt ashamed. He was grateful to Lina because Filia had always told him how Lina had several chances to destroy him but didn't. And he always believed Filia-oneesan. He had a few memories of his life before he was reborn, but it was almost like a dream, half-forgotten and fuzzy.

"Now go eat your dinner, Val--."

"…and the white magic users are saying that Lina Inverse is behind it all."

Filia's sensitive hearing caught the last statement that the villager was saying. They were all blaming Lina? How could that be when they all knew that Lina Inverse is the one that saved humanity against a number of Mazoku uprisings?

Filia listened some more.

"There's a reward to bring her to Saillune alive. They don't have hard evidence but it looks like she's the most likely suspect."

"Filia-oneesan, it sounds like Lina-san may be in trouble."

Filia silently agreed. "Val, hurry up and finish your dinner. We have to go now."

***********************************

There were no stars because the dark clouds of negative forces covered them all. All day it was like this. Dark, ominous, as though something is waiting just behind that cloud.

"So they think that it's me, eh?" Lina said. She and Gourry were lying on the grass on the side of a hill. They had managed to get out of Atlass without too much of a hassle. Luckily, Brom was an intelligent mage who knew that the dark energy was beyond even Lina's powers.

"I don't think it's you, Lina," Gourry replied. "Besides, if it were you then it would be me as well. We travel everywhere together."

"Thanks, Gourry," Lina didn't mind that he missed the point altogether. She chuckled. "To think that I'm that powerful. I don't think so."

In a way she was disappointed. After all that had happened in the past, after Shabrinigdo, Xanafar, Phibrizzo and Dark Star, after all that, people still feared her and made stories of her to scare children with. All those battles, she had been the unwilling champion of humanity, forced over and over again to save these people who now condemn her. She didn't expect to be this saddened and depressed about their accusations and suspicions. She knew that the majority of people who were not magic users just didn't understand, and that was why they needed someone or something to blame--- arming themselves with self-righteousness to fight the unknown. That way they knew who the enemy was: Lina Inverse.

After a moment of silence she said, "But who could be powerful enough to pull this and not claim the fame? I don’t think a human is behind this. Dragons maybe--no, that doesn't make sense. Hmmm, the Mazoku race? Only the demon lords have that much power,--maybe."

"Well, let's see. Out of the four demon lords, Phibrizzo are gone. Plus Chaos Dragon Gaav is dead. That leaves Deep Sea Dolphin, Greater Beast Zelas-Metallium and Dynast Grauscherra. Maybe they're trying to resurrect another piece of Shabrinigdo?"

"You could be right. But there's something else about all this that doesn't ring."

Gourry waited for Lina to continue. Lina was smart, she doesn't miss things that often.

"It's the fact that white magic users seem to be losing their powers. If the demon lords are trying to resurrect Shabrinigdo again, then why aren't they draining the black magic user's powers? Compared to white magic, black magic is more powerful and it would make more sense to use it to raise a demon king, right?"

Gourry sat up, his expression concerned, "Lina, are you saying that this is beyond the powers of the demon lords put together?"

Lina stared into his eyes. "I don't know what's going on, Gourry. All I know is that have to find out soon or it may be too late to stop it."

**** to be continued ****

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