Part TwelveGeez, Where's L-sama When You Need Her?

Lina looked around but discovered she was in complete darkness. She put her hand in front of her face and was slightly relieved to find that something was there. But then, why couldn't she see anything else? Where was Gourry and everyone?

"Lina-chan?"

Lina gasped, turning around. "Zelgadiss?" There he was, looking handsome and healed. "Where are we?" she demanded.

">You are somewhere between life and death.<"

"Program Rezo?"

">Yes. Zelgadiss is here obviously because of his injuries. But you, Lina, used up all of you life energy when you cast the Laugna Blade. Neither of you are dead, but your bodies aren't exactly alive either.<"

"Great," Zel muttered. "So what's going on right now?"

">Sirus is healing you, Zelgadiss, while Amelia is trying to help Lina.<" Program Rezo paused. ">I think I'll leave you two alone for now. Have fun.<"

Lina ignored Program Rezo and ran toward Zel, hugging him. They stayed like that for a while, letting the peace they both felt envelope them. Much to Lina's disappointment, however, Zelgadiss suddenly pulled away.

"Gomen, Lina," he said. "But I feel a gentle pull. I think I'm going back to my body, and I'd rather have you in your own body rather than mine." Lina felt her cheeks turn crimson, but gave him one more kiss. He disappeared soon after.

"Okay," Lina said out loud. "Now what am I supposed to do." There was no answer other than a gentle pull from somewhere. Lina guessed that it was the same pull that Zel had mentioned. Sure enough, she felt herself somewhere else. Opening her eyes, she saw Amelia looking very tired.

Lina sat up, looking over to Zel, who was still unconscious, but lacking a whole in his chest. Sirus looked a little pale himself.

"Lina," he asked. "You and Zelgadiss love each other, right?" Lina blushed slightly. "I shall take that as a yes. Listen, I can not keep healing him and then heal everyone else. Fillia is bound to need a little help, and I do not even want to guess about Xellos. I am going to cast a different kind of Recovery on you two, but in order for it to work, you two must love each other."

"Well," Lina replied. "You can give it a try."

"Alright. The spell is called Recovery Amour. It basically takes the love two people have for each other and uses it to heal them. This spell has one side effect, which is to make a love's bond even stronger. In other words, you shall love each other even more." Sirus intertwined her hands with Zel's. "You must hold onto each other like this until the spell is finished, lest you will get some sort of back lash, and I doubt you want that."

"Indeed," Lina said.

"Alright then," Sirus said, closing his eyes in concentration. "Recovery Amour," he whispered. Lina could almost feel some sort of warmth stretch between both herself and Zelgadiss. Zel slowly opened his eyes, sitting up, but the spell continued. From somewhere deep inside her, Lina felt that peaceful part of her come up and extend to Zelgadiss, who readily accepted it. The peace continued and strengthened. Finally, the spell broke, but Lina and Zel didn't notice. When Sirus said that their feelings would grow stronger, he wasn't kidding. Lina and Zel no longer hid their feelings, ignoring whatever stares where headed their way.

"LINA!" Martina shouted.

"Yes?" Lina answered sweetly, turning to her.

"What the hell is going on here! Where are we? The last thing I remember is a monster coming and killing Margulas in front of me!"

"Margulas?" Lina choked.

"Yes," Martina said, stars appearing in her eyes. She looked lovingly at the small bundle in her arms. "Margulas is my son. He will be a great king won day, as the wise and monstrous Zelmelgustar foretold to me."

"Margulas?" Zel repeated, standing up.

"Yes!" Martina replied irritably. "As a son of a union blessed by Zelmelgustar, he must have a name that combines both of the parents together in respect!"

"Actually," Xellos said, teleporting in and looking very well. "That's the child's name because the authors of this fic couldn't think of a good one." Several sweatdrops appeared. "Congratulations Lina," Xellos continued. "I seem to have my Mazoku abilities back." He frowned. "But the lessons I learned as a human, the emotions that battered at me, forcing me to look at life differently, are still with me. I think, that perhaps, that is for the better."

"Thank goodness," Fillia said, landing by his side. "And by the way, Namagomi," she said. "Next time you decide to heal me, don't run away when you're done!" She pounded him with her mace. Lina sighed. Things were going back to normal. Gourry sat up, looking dizzy and confused. Sirus went over to him, explaining the Recovery Amour, and then casting it between Gourry and Sylphiel. In no time, both were up and hugging.

"I though I'd lost you," Gourry whispered into Sylphiel's hair.

"Gourry-sama…" Lina smiled as Zangulas went over to challenge Gourry. All around them, the crowd of people grew and reunited with loved ones as they appeared. Suddenly, Lina felt that something was very wrong. There was some sort of haziness in her perception of things, like something was overlaying her view. She pushed the feeling aside. Something else was bugging her as well.

Lina turned to the crater where Drrael had once stood.

"Thou hast beaten me, but thou shalt not enjoy this victory long!" Lina swallowed. He couldn't have survived a Nightmare level spell, could he? Flying up from the crater came a human sized Drrael, bloody and bruised.

"I congratulate thee, child of Mother Golden Eye," Drrael roared. The crowd started to panic, trying to run away. Unfortunately, Drrael's barrier was still in place. "Thou hast done more harm unto me than I have ever experienced. Thou shalt pay a dear price for this outrage." Lina turned to the crowd. Sirus let loose some sort of spell, calming them.

"Sirus, Sylphiel, Martina," Lina ordered. "You guys protect these people!"

"What?"

"Sirus, Sylphiel, there is no spell that can make a shield for so many people and be effective. Just stop a blast that heads this way. Martina, you'd better start praying to Zelmelgustar."

"Okay."

"Gourry, Zelgadiss, Zangulas, you guys are on sword duty! Be careful. He may be able to alter his shape."

"Light!"

"Astral Vine!"

"Feel the wrath of the Howling Sword!"

"Xellos, Fillia, try to distract him a little." Fillia went dragon and flew off with Xellos.

"Amelia, you're with me and we're on spell duty."

"You got it Lina-san!" Lina was slightly taken aback by the fact that she even knew what to do. Normally, she'd just attack a problem head on, but where did this plan come from? The haziness on her perception continued to grow as she fought it back and tried to cast a spell at the same time.

Fillia dove in, firing her lethal breath directly at Drrael. Drrael teleported away easily, blasting a fire-like ball at Fillia. It hit her and she went backwards. Xellos shot dozens of black cones at Drrael before teleporting back to check on Fillia. The three swordsman started hacking at Drrael, who evaded every stroke and countered the spells that Lina and Amelia threw from above. Sure enough, the deflection of spells went toward the crowd of people, which Sirus and Sylphiel did a fine job of blocking. Lina was even surprised to see a few shields appear in front of her.

Lina was surprised at how well everyone fought together as a team. For a group that all claimed to be loners at one point or another, they worked well together.

The haziness suddenly hit Lina very strongly, actually causing pain. She screamed out, clutching her head where everything was focused. Her concentration shattered and she fell to the ground. There was suddenly a pillar of smoke around her.

She emerged as she usually did, golden and shining. Her heart was filled with unrest. She usually did not like to be so forceful with a favored child, but in this situation she had no choice. Her child refused to cast the spell that would bring her forward, so she had to gently force her conscious into her child's body. She didn't know what sort of implications there would be, but there was no alternative.

"Ah, Mother Golden Eye," Drrael said. "And to what do I owe this visitation? Thou doth not look with favor upon me."

"Xellos, come here," she said quietly. Her tone, however, said she would not tolerate refusal.

"Yes," he said, appearing by her side, kneeling. "You seem different, L-sama," he said. "Why the different attitude?"

"Different children different methods," she replied, smiling warmly at him. He, at least, was faithful. "Xellos, my son, who was it recently that I visited in this form?"

"Hellmaster Fibrizo."

"Arigatoo. That will do. You may go back to your mate." Xellos blushed and teleported back to the Golden Priestess. Those two were a good match. The chaos they would make from their union would do very nicely.

"Well, Mother Golden Eye? What wilst thou do unto me?"

She ignored everyone who was staring at her. Everyone who had been fighting Drrael before had stopped, backing away and kneeling in respect. Oh how she liked that! They were all so polite! Just like good children should be, though she was disappointed that the White Magic Expert had taken so long to join her Chaos group.

"You," she said, avoiding the ancient speak, "are a pain! Do you have any idea how hard it was to rebuild the Ryuzuku and Shinzuku after you stole what I meant for the Mazoku?"

"What is that to me, Mother Golden Eye? I willed myself into existence, such that I could do what I deemed my purpose. Do I displease thee, Mother Golden Eye? Thou hast made me, wilst thou unmake me?"

"Oh dear," she said quietly. He just had to be stubborn about this. "I thrive on Chaos. This so called purpose of yours is nothing more than ordered killing. You have no counterpart to fight and make Chaos with. If anything, you destroy Chaos by eating those who best make Chaos."

"If I displease thee so much, Mother Golden Eye, why hast thou not sought to deal with mine personage before?"

"I am very busy making worlds, you realize. I had already spent to much time on this one when I was getting ideas on a different world to do. I left my children, Cepheid and Shabranigdo to deal with you, but they couldn't cooperate very well. But these human children are trying to deal with you, but I already have plans for them without you killing them." Drrael spit at her, acting intolerably like a toddler. "That does it, Drrael-kun. Thou hast sought death with all of thine power, therefore, I shall give unto thee that which thou seek. Know, however, that I have done similarly to Hellmaster, and he did not like the gift I hath given unto him. Now, Drrael, receive thine gift."

She held up her hands, though nothing visible immersed from them. Drrael, however, definitely felt what was released from her hands. His hideous and broken form started to shine golden and small humps appeared. It couldn't really be called an explosion, at least not by human standards, but she did only what was fitting, especially considering the emotional hell her favored one had gone through watching all her friends die. When it was done, nothing was left of Drrael. She did feel bad for not getting to this sooner, but pushed the feeling down. She turned to the large crowd that stared at her unbelieving.

"Children," she said. "You should all be home causing Chaos for me." She snapped her fingers, teleporting all of them back to their homes, leaving only her Chaos group behind.

"What about Lina?" the Chimera asked quietly. The others nodded their heads in agreement

"I don't know," she answered honestly. "I had to force my way into her body. I don't know the side effects, but I do know that the longer I stay within her body, the harder it may be for her recovery. Know that no spells you know of can heal any damage I have unintentionally done. You must try something else." She left, letting her favored's body fall as she returned o the Sea of Chaos.

Zelgadiss hugged Lina's limp form, rocking back and forth. When she had initially collapsed, signaling that L-sama had left, everyone waited for her to get up. She didn't. Zelgadiss refused to cry, but instead held her close, willing for her to come back to her body. Sirus had examined her a few minutes earlier and was talking to everyone else.

"It is very strange," he said. "Lina's body is perfectly fine. There is no mark on her, almost as if she had never fought Drrael."

"But why won't she wake up?" Martina demanded. Zangulas held her close.

"I am not sure, your Majesty," Sirus replied, ever formal. "It appears that her soul is gone, but not in the same way that we all lost our souls to Drrael. It is very hard to explain," Sirus continued, groping for words that would explain it. "It is….Well…There is a small piece of her there, but the bulk of her soul has disappeared and I have no idea where. I am not well versed in the astral plane, so I could not even guess as to where to start looking."

"But Sirus," Amelia sobbed. "Isn't there anything we can do??" She fell into his arms sobbing. "We can't just loose Lina-san! We have to do something!"

"Xellos," Fillia asked. "You're an astral being. Can you go looking for Lina?" Everyone's eyes, Zel's included, turned to Xellos.

"No," he whispered, eyes downcast. "I don't think I can. If I were to go onto the astral plane and guide her…I don't even want to think of the of the consequences of a Mazoku making contact with a human on that plane. I could do more harm to Lina than good."

"Then what about me?" Amelia asked. "I can go onto the astral plane."

"How much experience do you have?" Xellos asked.

"I've been there once or twice."

"To dangerous," Fillia replied. "We might loose you too." Zelgadiss started to tune out the conversation. How? How could they help Lina? Even if Zelgadiss went onto the astral plane, he wouldn't know where to start looking. Wandering around aimlessly on the astral plane was dangerous; there were too many Mazoku and spirits running around and an interaction with any one of them could be fatal to the astral body. He would need a guide to help him go through all that traffic on the astral plane, but he didn't know any spirits on that side who were all that friendly to him.

Wait a minute. Spirits?

"REZO!!!" Zelgadiss shouted at the top of his lungs. Everyone whirled around, staring at him, but Zel didn't notice. "REZO, I FORGIVE YOU FOR WHAT HAPPENED TO ME! HELP ME FIND LINA!!

Program Rezo!

>Yes? How can I help?<

You said you wanted an hour in my body. Well here's your chance have fun. Zel started preparations to go onto the astral plane. He lay Lina on her own cloak. After doing so, he ripped off his hood, using putting it under Lina's head like a pillow. Then he pulled off his cape, using it like a blanket on her. During any astral visit, you had to make sure your were comfortable, and Zel did everything he did to make sure Lina was. After all, his body was stone and he didn't have to worry about feeling anything.

>Are you listening to me?? If you go, you might not come back!<

I don't care.

>But I can't loose you! You are my very reason for existence I'll die without you!<

You're concern is touching, but misplaced. I'll die without Lina, making you die as well.

>But you are like my own descendant.<

I appreciate that, but I have work to do. Zelgadiss lay down beside Lina, forcing his body to relax as his mind started to clear of all thought. It didn't take long. He had made the journey several times before and knew all the tricks.

Once on the astral plane, Zelgadiss took great care to mark off where his body was. However, when he looked around, some of the souls around him were strangely altered. Gourry had Sylphiel's green eyes and his bangs seemed a little neater. Sylphiel, meanwhile had Gourry's blue eyes and armor. Her bangs were a little more messy, like Gourry's normally were. It was very strange. Normally, the astral body looked like the physical body. He had seen Sylphiel and Gourry several times from the astral plane, but they never looked like this.

"It's because of the Recovery Amour." Zelgadiss whirled around and saw Rezo. Though he tried to stop it, his astral form tensed.

"I don't understand, Grandfather," Zel said. Considering all the time he had spent talking with Program Rezo, he had a greater understanding of his ancestor, and respect. Lina was right when she said it was Shabranigdo who had made him, not Rezo. Rezo was nothing more than a puppet.

"I'm glad you realized that, Zelgadiss," Rezo said.

"Eh?"

"Remember, this is the astral plane and thoughts can only be hidden with concentration. You are very distraught right now, with good reason, so I know what you are thinking." Rezo turned to Sylphiel and Gourry. "Apparently, by using love as the power for a Recovery spell, like in the Recovery Amour spell Sirus used, little bits of their souls are intermingled. I almost wish I was alive so I could discuss things with him. Maybe I would have been able to cure my eyes without releasing Shabranigdo if I had that book of his." Rezo looked sad for a moment. "But that's in the past. Thank you for your forgiveness. It's more than I deserve."

"But you did everything you could to help me. I shouldn't have blamed you. I should have known that you weren't the one who did this to me."

"Speaking of your chimeric form, why do you hate it so? It doesn't look so bad to me."

"What?" Zelgadiss summoned up a reflective surface and stared at himself. The black stones that had covered his pale skin were gone. His hair was much longer, held back by a black headband. His clothes were different; there were two demons blood talismans on him. But the thing that most struck him was his eyes. His dark, midnight blue eyes that saw the world with cynicism and hope all at the same time, were no longer blue. They were red. The exact same shade as Lina's.

"The..The spell," Zel stammered. "The Recovery Amour, did this to me and Lina as well?"

"It would appear so."

Zel found that his astral form was no more the abomination that his physical form was. Rezo was right. He didn't look half bad. But his eyes…Lina's coloring in his eyes.

"Lina!"

"Yes, Zelgadiss," Rezo replied. "I found her when you called to me. She actually wasn't all that far from me when you cried out."

"Then what are we waiting for!" Zel demanded. "Let's go! The longer she's away from her body like this, the harder it will be for her to get back!"

"Zelgadiss, we must go about this carefully." Zel glared at him, ancient hatred building up again. "Stop that right now!" Rezo commanded. "You said you forgave me, now start acting like it. Lina is in a very dangerous position right now. She has no idea where she is or how she got there. She is confused and alone. If you go to her, with your altered spirit right now, she'll start to panic and run from you. You of all people should know that panic on the astral plane is the most dangerous emotion. Almost as dangerous as anger."

Zel stifled a retort, trying to get control over his emotions. Being on the astral plane made it difficult, however, because the astral plan amplified emotions in spirits. Zelgadiss let Rezo take his hand and start to guide him through the turbulent astral plane. Zel swallowed his anger, placing his trust in an old enemy, who was never really and enemy at all. Once in control again, he studied the astral plane. It was different. Though it was normally chaotic, something looked like it took the astral plane and turned it inside out.

"Re..Grandfather," Zelgadiss said, pushing back old emotions and replacing them with new ones. "Grandfather, what happened here? The astral plane was nothing like this when I came here last."

"You can thank Drrael for this," Rezo said coldly. "That beast of a Mazoku not only stole souls from the physical plane, but from here as well. That's why he was able to destroy the remaining Mazoku lords. To make things worse, his astral form was overpowering. It was impossible to get close to him at all. Everywhere he went in the astral plane, devouring Mazoku, he left this in his wake. Of course, this altered the rest of the astral plane as well. Remind me to thank Lina for destroying that bastard."

Zelgadiss nodded in understanding. Rezo continued to take them farther and farther from his physical body. Rezo suddenly shot downward, pulling Zel with him, to what appeared to be a hole in what passed for ground in the astral plane. They dove deeper and deeper until they were in a small cavern.

"Now remember," Rezo said quietly. "Don't go rushing in. Talk to her first."

"Yes, Grandfather," Zel whispered back. Peeking up over the rocks, he saw Lina curled into a ball in the corner, barely visible in the shadows.

"Lina-chan," he said, loud enough to be heard. "Lina, are you there?"

"Zel?" Lina said in a small voice. "Where are you? Where am I? What happened? Why am I so scared?"

"Lina-chan, I'm here for you. You're safe."

"I don't feel safe," Lina replied. "I feel cold. Alone. Terrified. Dark. Small. Insignificant. Helpless. Confused."

"Don't go there, Lina-chan," Zel assured her. "You are anything but insignificant. You happen to be very significant to me."

"Where are you Zel?"

"Lina-chan, I need to explain a few things first."

"Just come here."

"If I do, I'll frighten you."

"You could never do that."

"Lina-chan, please listen to me." Zel tried very hard to keep his voice calm and to shield his thoughts He had to do this very carefully. Apparently when L-sama took over, Lina's soul had, in several ways, reverted to a child like state. All that talk of helplessness clinched it. He was going to have to tread very carefully, or else her fragile state would shatter. "Lina-chan," he continued. "We're both on the astral plane. Do you understand?"

"Yeah. But how did I get here? Why would you frighten me?"

"Do you remember when Sirus cast that Recovery Amour on us?"

"Yeah. What's that got to do with this?"

"The Recovery Amour has a side effect that Sirus couldn't have known about." Zel almost jumped for joy as the small cave they were in got lighter. That meant that Lina was starting to put her pieces back together. "When Sirus cast that spell on us, our souls intermingled for a brief instant, exchanging things."

"Like that peace?"

"Yes, Lina-chan. That was only part of it, though. Our astral forms have altered. I no longer look like the chimera you know. I have parts of you with me, the same way you have parts of me with you."

"Whatever, now come here. Hold me. I'm still scared."

"Do you understand that I will look different to you?"

"Yes."

Zelgadiss glanced at Rezo. This was going to be the most dangerous point. Rezo gave a brief nod and Zel stepped out from behind the rocks. Lina was still huddled in the shadows and didn't appear to move. "Lina-chan?" Zel went over to her, sitting down beside her. She looked over to him, and despite the dim light, Zel could see his dark midnight blue eyes staring back at him. "Are you alright?"

"Zel?"

"Yes, it's me." Lina collapsed into his arms.

"Why am I so scared? What happened?" Zelgadiss held her close and told her everything he knew. From leaving that place between life and death, to Drrael coming out of his crater, though much smaller, to the Golden Eye Lord coming forth, scolding Drrael, finishing with his reconciliation with Rezo in order to find her. The whole time he spent explaining what happened, the cave got progressively lighter and bigger. By the time he finished, they were in what was more like a cozy living room, complete with a fire and soft sofa were they sat.

"Why do I still feel different?" Lina asked, sounding much better, but still not quite to her old self.

"I'm not all that sure. Try calling forth that all consuming peace of yours. Maybe that will help." And suddenly, he felt it. That peace was all around him and spreading. Lina shined quietly in his arms, coming up to kiss him gently. The peace swirled around them, like it always did, but this time it was different. It started to penetrate Zelgadiss' astral form, soaking through him. When it finally reached his heart, he knew. Lina had said that she had understood what peace really was. Now he did as well.

Peace was not quiet and gentle, though it certainly felt like it at that particular moment. Peace was letting chaos do as it wished, which lead to not fighting or confrontation, but letting every element that created chaos find its own small place in the universe. The chaos only came from two elements who got in the other's why while searching for its small corner. But while these elements created chaos searching for their corner, they were at peace in their journey. That is what peace really was. That was why L-sama thrived on chaos. Because it gave her peace.

"Zelgadiss! Lina!" Zel was brought out of his epiphany as Rezo's shouts of concern finally reached his peace filled heart.

"Grandfather?" he whispered.

"Are you two alright?!" Lina floated beside Zel while he looked out over the astral plane. The plane was not the turbulent horror it was when Zel first entered it. Instead it was back to normal, though something was still different. Zel realized, however, what was different was not the plane itself, but him. Lina had said that the peace she felt had changed her. He felt changed as well. Nothing earth shattering. But something just enough to be noticed.

"What happened?" Lina asked.

"You started to glow," Rezo replied. "As you did, my descendant over here did as well until I could no longer sense anything. When I finally could start sensing things again, I realized that you, Lina, had repaired all the damage Drrael had did to the astral plane. What did you do?"

"I just reached back to that peace that the Mazu Slave gave me."

"You also gave me that understanding of peace, Lina-chan." Lina looked over to him and smiled.

"Really? Well it's about time! You tend to be a little slow on the uptake!" She playfully punched him in the arm.

"If you two are quite finished, I believe we should hurry back to your bodies before you become permanent residents of the astral plane," Rezo said. Smiling, both Zel and Lina started to follow Rezo to where Zel had marked off their bodies.

As they flew by everything, Zel hoped his marker was still in place. They were about halfway there when Zelgadiss felt a sharp pain rip through his torso. He cried out and crashed.

"Zel!" Zel stumbled up, remembering that the chaos made by conflict made peace.

"I'm okay, but I've been away from my body for too long. I can feel myself separating." He grunted. "We have to move, and quickly."

Lina picked up Zel almost like he didn't weigh anything.

"Lina-chan," he said. "Don't you feel anything? You've been away from your body longer than I have."

"Don't feel a thing!" she replied. "Maybe 'cause I have that peace. But right now, that doesn't matter. Let's move!" They sped along all the faster. The astral plane blurred by them in a flash as they moved. Finally, up ahead, Zel could see the marker he left.

Program Rezo, can you hear me?

No, he can't, but I can hear you, Xellos, of all people, replied. What the hell did you do to the astral plane? How did you make it normal again?

Thank Lina. But right now, could you please tell Program Rezo it's time for us to return to our bodies?

Of course, responded Xellos. Zelgadiss was surprised that there was no banter. Perhaps Xellos had actually learned from his short time of being human. For some reason, the future seemed a whole lot brighter. They reached the marker and Zelgadiss waited until Xellos said it was alright. He turned to Rezo.

"Domo arigatoo gozimasu, Grandfather," Zel said, hugging Rezo. "I'll keep in touch, next time I'm on the astral plane."

"Thank you, Zelgadiss." Rezo pulled away with tears in his eyes. "I don't deserve your forgiveness, but you still found it in your heart to do so. You have no idea how much that means to me."

"My pleasure. Now Lina-chan and I'd better get going."

"Indeed. Good bye and good luck." Rezo faded away, going elsewhere on the astral plane.

"Lina-chan," Zel said, turning to her, "going back to your physical body is difficult. It is usually easier to return in the same position that you left in. You have to focus on putting your astral body into your physical one. That's the part that everyone has trouble with and it is also the most dangerous. Usually, when training someone in walking on the astral plane, you do it in stages before the person is taken out of their body entirely. That didn't exactly happen with you."

"Tell me about it. The next time you see dear, 'Mother Golden Eye' let her know how I felt about this."

"And how do you feel about this?" He could resist asking.

"Madder than hell. Now show me how it's done, pretty boy." Zel blushed briefly, but started the process of going back into his body. He went slowly, making sure Lina saw what he was doing and how it was done. Once he was back in his body, he sat up quickly, leaning over Lina. He prayed that she understood how to get back inside her body.
Go to the Epilogue-Aw, The Show's Over?