Anubis: the second chance
		part 2: shadowed path
	a Ronin warriors/Slayers crossover fic
			by Anubis3k

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	"Xeloss said this place was where again?" Anubis asked.

	"uhm, the northern continent." Lina said, "but unfortunately,
the only way we can get there is if we get through this little 
tournament thing"

	"A fight you say? well, we're going to need all the training
we can get if we want to be able to beat Talpa."

	"what's that demon's story anyway?" Gourry asked, the same 
confused look on him as usual.

	"well, the story that the Ancient told me goes something like 
this. about a thousand years ago, the demon lord Talpa attempted an 
invasion on my world. however, he was stopped by one of the Ancient's 
clan. his evil soulless armor remained as his personal gateway to that 
world and swore thad he would come back in a thousand years. well, to 
make it harder for that to happen, the Ancient split the armor into 9 
other armors, so Talpa would have to gain all nine armors to be at 
full strength again. mine of course was one of those armors. well, he
did come back.

	"but, he was stopped by a group of 5 wearers of his armor, 
called the ronin warriors. the Ancient one snatched me away from 
Talpa and taught me of the true ways of the armor, which was that
even if the armor came from an evil scource, the wearer didn't have 
to become evil, as long as they kept the true element of the armor in 
mind.but the ancient died during that battle. Talpa also made a second
attempt, sending a brainwashed member of the ancient's tribe, Lady 
Kayura but failed again at the hands of the ronins. I died banishing 
the evil controlling spirit from Kayura's soul." Anubis finished.

	"Such a noble person..." Filia smiled.

	"I wish it were so. i did so many horrible things during the 
500 years that i was under Talpa's control. so many people killed and 
kingdoms destroyed..." he sighed.

	"But you're alive again to make up for those wrong doings now,
so don't be sad" Amelia chirped, hanging off Zelgadiss as per usual.

	"True. and it's nice to have a second chance to live. there's 
just too many things i never got to do while i was in that world." He
smiled at the though. "well, anyway, back to the important things, how
do we get into this tournament"

	"well..." Lina started "you enter in groups of two."

	"I got Zel!" Amelia giggled. Zelgadiss groaned.

	"And i got Lina." Gourry smiled.

	"so i guess that just leaves us, ne Anubis?" Filia said.

	"err, right." Anubis said, tipping his hat so it's shadow 
would hide his face a little more.

	"well, i guess that's that" Lina sighed. "It's about 2 days 
worth of travel anyway, so we may as well stop at this place for the 
night"

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	After polishing off a meal fit for an army, Lina, Gourry, 
Amelia, and Zel(who only had a modest meal with coffe) retired for the
night to their rooms. Filia and Anubis stayed, drinking tea...

	"So, Anubis" Filia started.

	"yes?"
	
	"Tell me about yourself?"

	"well, the truth is there's not much to tell really. but since 
you asked." he stopped to sip his tea. "one of the first things i did 
when i was old enough, is i joined an army. i quickly became the most 
feared general in all of japan. but it wasn't wnough for me. i desired 
more power, not even stopping to think about the more trivial things in 
life. and then, one day, i inherited my armor, gaining even more power.
but even that wasn't enough for me. and then, Talpa came." sipped his 
tea again. "he offered me more power than i had ever dreamed of. how 
could i refuse? i mean, it's the only thing i wanted. at that time.
500 years later, i'm involved in a battle, whose only fruit is my 
enlightenment of how life should be. i rejected Talpa and fought 
against him from that point on." he finished.

	"and just how should life be led then?"

	"it should be led with your heart, and what you know is right"
Anubis smiled. "however, Lina seems to be led more by her stomache"
he joked. Filia couldn't help but laugh a little.

	"so, those things that you never got to do, what were they?" 
Filia finaly managed to say after a few minutes.

	"uhm, well.. i never got to love for one thing. i never got to
raise a family, or try new foods. you know, 'trivial' things like that"
he sighed. "it was always 'kill this' or 'destroy that village'. i 
never got to do what i wanted, and i never realized it because i 
thought i would get power that way"

	"i see... oh, forgive me Anubis-san, it's late and i tire"

	"it's quite alright. i'm getting tired myself." they walked 
upstairs  to their rooms, which fate would have it, were right next 
to eachother. "uhm, goodnight, Filia-san"

	"goodnight, Anubis-san" she said, each dissappearing to 
their rooms for the night.

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			END PART 2