SPOOF CHASE PRODUCTIONS (http://spoof.maison-otaku.net/) PRESENTS... Slayers REFLECT : Episode CW (Side Story) Closing Wounds A Slayers Fanfic Series by Stefan "Twoflower" Gagne (Almost all characters copyright H. Kanzaka / R. Araizumi, obviously. If I ever even considered claiming that these were my own characters I'd probably be thrown into a small cell where I'd be forced to eat my own garage kits to live.) --> Read the enhanced hypertext version at <-- --> http://pixelscapes.com/slayers <-- -=- Please note : This story originally was posted with a sort of 'Quiz' attached, which you had to pass before you could read the actual story. But in efforts to make the text archive of Slayers Reflect complete as possible, it's posted here with no locks attached. If you'd like to give it a shot, though, visit the address above and put your brain in gear! ^_^ (blank space to avoid spoiling) Death walks this world. He moves silently from town to town, and the blasted wastelands between. He visits the humans cowering for mutual support underneath a sky the color of a bruise, humans fortifying what little defenses they have against the Mazoku. But inevitably, most enclaves fall, and Death is there. If Death was a personification, a transporter to the next world that humans knew about and could see, they might take more comfort in the dark; as is, all they had to believe in was the Balance, but even that was fading. In Sailoon, they still held onto the idea of the Balance. It was an ancient concept, dug up by their royal astrologer in a midnight cram research session. Melvin had taken to doing those, because the library was packed solid with books, soundproofing against whatever was happening in the night air. Books, no matter what they contained, were not as 'exciting' as the life outside. Despite this, it was in books that he discovered the myth of Balance, that the Lord of Nightmares is both chaos and order. When one force overwhelms, eventually the counterbalance must come about. That's why the Mazoku would never win. It was also why the humans would never win. But if this was a world of balance, why for the last three years had it been overrun by the forces of darkness? No living weapon was useful against the Mazoku; many of them could drink black magic for breakfast. Some black sorcerers had been turned to darkness, to betray their own race. Black Magic itself was made illegal in any city with enough strength to enforce that mandate. Such as Sailoon. "Another beautiful day," her retainer said, trying to sound like he believed in it. "Yes," Amelia agreed. "As beautiful as it gets." Queen Amelia looked out across the buildings of her homeland. The capitol city had seen better days, but was holding up with glue and hope. The barrier, placed by the combined efforts of the strongest of the Legion of White, was set to hold up for a few more months of the onslaught. But after that? It was unlikely they could keep this up. "Have you sent out the message?" she asked, her eyes tracing the streets of her city. Empty streets. "Yes, but.. chances are low that we can find her. What with the mandate against Black Sorcery, are you certain you want her within the city?" Amelia smiled. "I think justice can bend for the greater need, Jacques," she said. "These are hard times. We can be lenient if we are wise in leniency." "Yes, my queen," Jacques nodded, bowing. "It may be weeks, you realize. But I will make sure you know the second she arrives." Nodding satisfactorily, Amelia dismissed her assistant. A moment of peace. Resting in her chair, Amelia thought back to happier times. And to when the times had changed... [*] ...as a young girl... As a young girl, Amelia was proud to walk in her father's footsteps. She upheld justice, love and tranquility, and one day she fulfilled the vow she had made to her mother to quest, ridding the world of evil. Setting out quietly, with only her newly tailored sorceress's costume, a boxed lunch and her undying faith, Amelia quested. She visited several towns, found out about the scourge of bandits. Here, she assumed, was the ultimate evil; the killers, the black-hearted vagrants who would terrorize and break up families and steal property. She immediately started to hunt those naughty bandits, of course, and had a few limited successes despite a few setbacks. Nothing deterred her, nothing broke her smile. Everything was just going so swell! The end of it all occurred just an hour after dinner, on a fateful wednesday. She was nowhere near the place where it happened, where crazed reports of the dark lord Shaburanigdo's arrival originated, but she felt the impact through the earth, and saw the black sphere; the hardest, purest black magic attainable, so it seemed. The dark wind whipped through the village, and she managed to take cover just in time; any who were directly exposed to that non-light vanished, sudden screams ending with sudden flares of darkness. And then, suddenly, the bandits didn't seem like so much of a problem. The monsters, normally dormant and wary of approaching man, started to enter the village. Driving them were the Mazoku. Some looked human. Others had grotesque forms. But they all radiated the darkness, feeding on the energy caused by the explosion, growing stronger. So many humans died that day. The ones who didn't shortly wished they had, when the dark energy finally subsided... and the Mazoku decided they were still hungry. Amelia ran. She ran away before the invaders managed to consume the village she was staying in, ran like a coward, breaking every vow she had made to her mother. Hiding for two days, watching the events that transpired, she saw the Mazoku hauling off people to entertain themselves with at a later point in time; warriors, sorceresses, peasants, a little of everybody. She was too numb with fear to lift a finger, to cast a spell; and what would she have cast? She knew white magic, the most useless lore imaginable unless you've got a papercut to heal. Someone had taught her Shamanism, but it never fully took. She was less than nothing, not a bandit hunter, not a warrior of love and justice, just the same scared little girl she once was. One day in her forced exile she heard confirmation that Shaburanigdo was destroyed in the great explosion. This had enraged the Mazoku, who had assumed mankind was finally defeated. Perhaps the guardians of the world, the dragons, had awoken to help in the fight. A flicker of hope burned with the population, that perhaps this too would pass. Amelia stayed hidden. The next day rumors started of the Mazoku setting up a base of operations near the site where their lord had perished. Maybe they'd just stay in one place and not kill everybody. They needed humans for food, right? And those dragons would be coming any day now, provided the Mazoku hadn't overwhelmed them. Amelia stayed hidden. Day after that, she heard that Sailoon was assaulted. But the shining walls of the capitol repelled the invaders, the charge led by a group of white sorceresses who had banded together to defend the least damaged city in the area. However, the King, Queen, and Prince Phil were all killed. But they were just royals, and the hope remained. Except in Amelia. In Amelia, a new feeling rose. She recognized it, the rage, the sheer anger at the audacity of what had become -- she had seen it in her sister, one day, and swore she wouldn't fall into that trap. Now she was. It took hours of struggling, but she eventually reached a compromise with herself. She would maintain justice and peace, and the virtues of man. And punish the Mazoku that had brought this about with every breath. Fair's fair. One month later, a changed Amelia re-entered the gates of Sailoon, holding the head of a local Mazoku general up for the Legion of White to see. Her passport, and eventually, her ticket to coronation as queen. [*] Queen Amelia was a young queen, but queen nevertheless. She had become a legend to a people that desperately needed legends, and dressed appropriately... a strange mix of battle readiness, silk and finery of royalty, and the five pointed stars -- symbols of the Legion of White. Two white sisters accompanied her through the palace, remaining quiet as ghosts, a menacing presence without being overtly violent. Simply overtly tranquil. "We must warn you," one of the sisters repeated. "She is not in a good state. Our finest healers have been unable to do anything for her; the Mazoku have injured her mind, and that is a sort of healing none know of..." "I'm aware," Amelia said. "Is it true, then? The rumors?" "Reportedly, she is the one who is responsible for the dark coming of the Lord of Nightmares," the other sister said, a stern voice. "Is she to be publicly tried for these crimes?" Amelia considered this. The people would want blood. Confusing justice and vengeance was so easy nowadays, that Amelia had to keep a firm grip... but also a flexible one. Maybe one day, long ago, she would have given a yes without a second thought. She let a small chuckle escape her lips; how silly and childish she once had been! But such bright times... back to the present. "No," Amelia said. "It would not go well. She's suffered enough for what she's done, it seems. And she might be of some assistance..." The dungeons were very specifically not dimly lit and evil. Amelia made sure that Sailoon's jails, meant to simply be holding areas in the cause of justice, were not doubling as psychological terror devices. Despite this, the figure in the back of the iron and brick cell managed to lurk in the one shadow remaining from these efforts. Amelia studied the young girl. She was only a little older than herself, but had certainly seen more of the outside world... Amelia still bore a silent curse on herself for not facing the evil out there, but what could she do at the moment? It would be useless. This girl had likely not made much impact against the Mazoku either, despite her disheveled and torn sorceress's costume. Her hair was dead white, the color of bone; the Legion told her this was explained by her magic being burned out of her, locked forever away from the White and the Black, the Shamanism as well. That wasn't the only scar she bore, however. More than her fair share of physical scars were present, and according to the report, psychological ones as well. The sisters had done their best, but this went beyond simple injury. The one she had learned was Lina Inverse looked up, trying to focus on Amelia. "The queen," Lina recognized, and giggled quietly. "Stupid titles in stupid times..." "I'm sorry.. we couldn't do more for you than this," Amelia said, apologetically. "I trust you are being fed well?" "Of course. I'm always fed," Lina said. "Mazoku, humans, it doesn't matter. They'll cage you, but feed you. They like you alive, you're so much more fun that way." "That's not our intention. These bars are for your own safety," Amelia said, cringing inside at how wrong that sounded. "We want to help you. Maybe you can help us." "I can't help anyone..." Lina whispered, rocking back and forth. "No magic. Gone. Lost my sword. I can't do anything to stop anything or help anyone, I couldn't stop anything to Zelgadis or Gou... anything except cause this all to happen. I can break the world again, I think. Do you want to see the Giga Slave? I can't cast it but I can show you how. Maybe you can finish the job?" "Maybe later," Amelia humored. "We need to know what happened to someone you traveled with. She--" "Dead." "I haven't even said her name!" "Does it really matter?" Lina asked. "If whoever it is isn't dead they will be soon. Or they won't be allowed to die. The Mazoku have an agreement, you know. Don't let Lina die. One of them told me it was in th-thanks for this. I--" "Where is Gracia??" Amelia asked, snapping off in frustration. She scrabbled for her poise. "Please. It's very important." Lina appeared to think very hard. Amelia gave her the time to think; she might need it. Finally, after three minutes, Lina asked, "Who's Gracia?" "My sister. You might know her as... Nadi.. Na... Naga. Yes, that was it; Naga the White Serpent." "Laughs too much. Dresses like a bad guy. Huge breasts I always hated," Lina summarized. "Don't know. Probably dead." "Are you certain you don't know?" "Maybe, maybe not," Lina mused, sitting back. "I see stuff a lot and can't tell when I'm dreaming or awake. Your friends there say I'm totally insane, and I think they're right, except if I thought that it would mean I wasn't insane. But I don't think I'd want to be sane if this is sanity..." "Lina, I'm sorry that we can't do anything, but we really have to find Nag--" The bars slammed hard against their support rails, as the pale sorceress flung herself at them, gripping the rods of steel with steel-white knuckles. She leaned out as far as she could, face to face with Amelia. "I'll escape," Lina warned, voice low and angered. "I always escape you, every time you cage me to play with me, all of you. You've taken my mind, my body, my soul. I don't have magic but I'm smart and I'll get out." Amelia took two steps backwards; the Legion companions got ready for any trouble. "It's dangerous out there," Amelia said lamely. "It's dangerous everywhere," Lina smiled. Then went into a laughing fit that only ended when she was put to rest with a Sleep spell, her voice bouncing off the walls like a crazed bird in flight. [*] Disappointed, Amelia decided to head back to her throne room. She refused to give up hope that her sister could be found, however; she may be more realistic about her goals in this day and age, but a defeatist she was not. Messengers were streaking around the world, her fastest and best. Somehow, word would reach her. Days passed with no response, but that was normal. After a week, a curious but unexplainable incident; Lina Inverse had escaped. Through the week, her ranting about the 'Giga Slave' was recorded for later use in healing her, but that would never come. The guards responsible for keeping an eye on her and the Legion of White sister she had posted (to help her through her frequent bouts of irrational behavior) reported her looking into the mirror that hangs in the cell, seeing something she didn't like, screaming, and vanishing. There was a small maelstrom of energy from the mirror, but when it subsided, the Legionnaire had found nothing unusual. It was probably the fault of a Mazoku. Amelia detached a bounty hunter to try and track Lina down again. She didn't need Lina anymore, since she couldn't provide any useful information, but nobody who dared to call themselves human would let that poor girl be kidnapped without some response. More days went by, and the shield around Sailoon weakened when a dark general known as Xelloss started to knock on the front door. Fortunately, he stopped after awhile; reportedly, he was smiling when he retreated rather than wearing a frown of discouragement. Which in itself was not encouraging. Another Mazoku started to attack, but fortunately Amelia was on hand to recognize her. "Gracia..? Hold your fire!" were her exact orders. Naga the White Serpent, as she insisted on being called, was quickly ushered into the palace and put behind closed doors. The population that saw her go by started to spread unpleasant rumors. "You can't go walking around in that outfit! Not now, not here," Amelia said. The argument had been going for awhile, overshadowing any sisterly greetings they could hold. "People see leather or anything vaguely evil, they assume it's a Mazoku come to destroy them. Black magic itself is outlawed!" "OOHOHOOHOHHOOO!!!" Naga laughed. "How absurd! Black magic is the only weapon these beasts respect. White magic is good for nothing except patching cuts and sores. I suppose you haven't realized this by now, if you went so far as to make it illegal, little sister?" "Black magic tends to make them stronger," Amelia said. "White is all we have to fight them with." "Ah, so you don't think the Shamanist enclaves will overcome? I've traveled with them. They're neutral and strictly for themselves, but unlike your people, they do not hide behind white walls. They fight back and destroy their intruders." "It won't solve the overall problem," Amelia said, shaking her head sadly. "Just keep things static. Gracia, I--" "Naga, dear." "GRACIA, I need your help." Naga perked an eyebrow. "And what can this humble black sorceress do for your pristine highness?" "It's simple..." Amelia said, taking a deep breath to get this out. "You're more powerful in white magic than me." Naga said nothing. "Unless you've forgotten it all," Amelia amended. "You and I both trained extensively under mother, but you were always the best nurturer, the best healer. You were able to patch up damage even our best weren't able to do, and if you've gotten better which I'm hoping you have, could easily best one of the Legion." "I.. I don't do any silly parlor tricks anymore," Naga said. "What good has it ever done?" "It could stop the Mazoku." "It can do nothing!" Naga said, kicking a nearby wall. "It can hold them at bay, yes, but that's all! We need to fight them!" "We will. With white." "White can't stop the killers," Naga said, voice going quiet. The two sisters paused. The killers, the word they had used for weeks afterwards, until Gracia decided to leave and become a black sorceress full time... "White... couldn't save mother," Amelia agreed. "We tried. I know we both tried, you especially, but she was hurt too badly for either of us to do anything." "I tried," Naga said, not really listening. "There was so much blood, and I was scared, but.. I tried very, very hard. And the magic did nothing. It closed her wounds, but she was still dead. The killers won." Amelia, exhausted from hearing the words, settled into the closest chair. "Look, N.. Gracia. We can't bring her back." Snapping out of it, Naga let off a long laugh. "OOOHHOHOOHO! Exactly! And that is why we must rally every black spell we can, to PUNISH them! As I have always done, as I swore to do, yes?" "Not punishment. Balance," Amelia said. "I should have just explained this to you from the start. I know how we can put things back." [*] She refused to give a name to the Legion sisters who took her in, saying she never really had a very good name to begin with. She was frightened, and near starvation, but had not a single scratch of damage on her person, skin as pure as snow. While nursing the strange woman back to health more than a month ago, the Legion revealed an interesting detail to Amelia in their daily reports. This refugee was strong in white magic. Estimated, she had three or four times the strength of the most powerful White sister under Sailoon's roof. Amelia immediately sought out the woman for questioning, not in an interrogative sense, but in a plea for her to join the ranks the Legion. With her, they could hold off the beasts for longer. Without her, it seemed that the city would collapse and fall to the encroaching ruin in short time. The sorceress refused to join, saying she had failed in her one job long ago and could take no others as penalty for her failure. She was from Testabourne, which was completely overrun with Mazoku, despite having some of the most skilled swordsmen the world 'round; she didn't specify, but knowing the culture, likely her husband had fallen in battle while she was trying to keep him protected. But before leaving, the woman told Amelia of a spell, a spell unknown to the Legion and unknown to humanity. It wasn't a lost lore, the woman explained, but it was a spell she had been sworn to secrecy, passed down through the mother's side of her family for generations. The original reason to do this was lost, but secrecy had to be kept. Since she had failed at her job, she felt open to telling the secret, if only to make herself feel worse. Amelia compromised her sympathy, allowing the secret to be revealed, and the woman slumped off into the wastelands, more broken than before. Justice was a hard thing to obtain, and Amelia wished there could be no destruction in the process, but it would be a burden for her to bear. Never would she forget that woman, in her lily-white cloak, walking back into the darkness, task done. [*] "In the lake of chaos, where the Lord of Nightmares shines like gold upon the sea, there are pillars," Amelia continued to explain. "Melvin has researched this a lot, from recovered documents and artifacts unearthed in the war. It's ironic, that we're now discovering much of magic unknown to humanity, and much of it won't help us... each pillar represents a lore, the two basic ones, White and Black; plus shorter pillars for each of the 'legendary lost lores." Naga sat calmly, absorbing this. "What about Shamanism?" "It's an L3," Amelia said. "Confirmed. We traced its roots to a woman named Allyson." "But ancient ruins were found with the spells in them, and everything..." "Faked. The sect led by Allyson which quietly spread Shamanism, descendants of whom are involved in those enclaves you mentioned, did that in order to ensure it would be taken seriously. It's amazing, that that conspiracy has held enough to root Shamanism so firmly; Image Magic was also a pillar, a legendary lore, but it was considered a joke and is rarely used. The other legendary lores we don't know anything about. If there are others." "So Shamanism will stop the Mazoku?" Naga asked, confused. "Sorry... I got sidetracked," Amelia admitted. "No. White magic. According to legend, if you look up high enough to the very peaks of the towers of White and Black, you can see a shining whiteness that blinds the sun on one and an ultimate darkness lurking on the other. Equal height in both, with spells of ascending power written up each tower." "Meaning?" "White really IS balanced against Black," Amelia smiled. "They counter each other. And an ultimate healing spell, one that can destroy the darkness of the Mazoku, exists. I've learned it." "That's impossible," Naga said. "The Balance is just a myth. Everybody knows Black is stronger. Just look at the Dragon Slave! It's not even the most powerful spell of Black Magic, and it alone can destroy an entire city! Complete annihilation!" "Complete regeneration is possible. I know it can be done, Naga! By combining the right things, we can adjust the balance back to normal!" Naga stood. "You're crazy," she said flatly. "I don't want any part of this foolishness. I trust your minions can lead me out of the city?" "Gracia, please--" "Don't call me that!" Naga ordered. "I am Naga the White Serpent. I--" "You are Gracia Wil Edison Sailoon!" Amelia said. "Sister of Amelia Wil Tesla Sailoon, daughter of Rydia Wil Gibson Sailoon and Philoniel Wil Gibson Sailoon. WHITE sorceress from birth and training!" "That's gone. It died when mother went with it." "We can't bring her back," Amelia said, words strong. "But please. Help me bring the world back to the balance. I NEED your strength. We can heal some wounds, at least. Didn't we promise that day to do what we could to make the amends?" Naga's will wavered. "Yes..." "Train me," Amelia asked. "You haven't forgotten your strength in White. But we need to hurry, soon, we'll lose what safety we have here. Please? Sister?" "I.. I'll try," Gracia said, nibbling her lip. "I can't promise anything." Amelia smiled. "That's promise enough for me." [*] Gracia was invited to the nightly ceremony of shielding. It was a tradition in the Legion that all the sisters bond to unite powers and keep the city safe from evil, adding fresh power to the bubble encapsulating Sailoon's capitol. Unsure if she should attend, Gracia decided at the eleventh hour to show. She had exchanged her black leathers for old, familiar white robes, at Amelia's request; the black could be taken as an offense. That night, when the power started to channel, the bubble actually turned slightly opaque as Gracia's power flowed into it. The others were shocked; her flows dwarfed many of theirs, being the central trunk around which their branches intertwined. Normally, the spells acted like a tangled weave of string; here they truly bonded and spanned. "How..." Gracia asked, simply, the words trailing off. It was the first time she had taken white magic seriously in years, much less worked in tandem with others. She hadn't even worked up a sweat in the process. "You never forget the good things in life," Amelia had smiled. Training lasted a month, a solid month they had with relative peace and quiet. The strange general named Xelloss returned, but chose to float around the city teasing the guards on duty rather than attack. Occasionally he would test the new shield, seeming to be delighted; once, in a moment that put genuine fear into Amelia, he invited the royal sisters to the shielded gateway of the city. "Watch," he said, and almost effortlessly placed his hand through the shield, parting it like rice paper. He waved cheerfully with the hand, then pulled it back, and actually mended their own shield for them. No words were spoken, but the intent was clear; to show that he had this power all along, and chose not to use it. Stunned, Amelia asked why. "Ah," he smiled. "That is a secret." And vanished without a trace, not to be seen again. [*] The shield parted, this time controlled by the Legion of White. Scores of armed horsemen rode out the main gates, with nearly a hundred women in the white robes in the middle of the pack. These were the grand masters, taken from all walks of Sailoon life; accomplished, peaceful inside and out, strong. Their leaders were not quite so peaceful. "You know... I've almost never been out here," Amelia said, quietly so as not to let it hurt troop morale. "Three times only, since it all began. Once when I was hiding and on the run, the other two for public appearances... what if staying safe and warm behind that walls makes it impossible for me to do what needs to be done?" Gracia graced her sister with a soft smile. Her demeanor had changed quite a bit, as she walked the hallways of her youth, studied the magics of her childhood. "Ohoho," she laughed, not able to rid herself of at least one habit. "Don't be afraid, Amelia-chan. I'm here, and so are your best women and men... if any effort will work, it will be this." "And if it doesn't?" "I thought you were the optimist?" Gracia asked, amused. "If it fails, we'll recoup and replan. But I think it can be done. By the grace of the light of the Lord of Nightmares, we will restore the balance." "It's been hard to have faith in that. I've tried to uphold justice, to be a fair ruler... do you think I've done well, Gracia?" "Nobody's flawless, Amelia-chan. Although I come rather close," Gracia joked, fluffing her hair. Laughing at the little joke, Amelia rode on. And into the valley of death rode the Legion. [*] Living signposts, they were called. The Mazoku liked to feel the fear humans felt at looking at other, desceased humans. The road lead to the stronghold of the Mazoku, where it was rumored everybody from Xellas-Metallum to Shaburanigdo to Dark Star lurked. The hosts made sure their guests felt welcome. It took time to do, but Amelia made sure every man, woman and child that was hung up by the road on posts was cut down and given as decent a burial as they had time to. She had to keep her white side pure, as pure as she could; no suffering, nothing to hinder the flow. Moving on, the Legion walked through the remains of villages, the blasted fields that once teemed with crops, and the scorched husks of cities. Occasionally, they would meet a Mazoku or two with several lesser guards or slaves. Any they met were exterminated, overwhelmed by the large force Amelia commanded. Slaves were set free, although set free to what, only time would tell. But each mile dragged at her soul. Each depraved scene, increasingly horrid as the Mazoku had perfected their art of raising terror in the throats of mankind, each inhuman act tugged her towards gloom. Gracia, she rode tall. Perhaps her years on the road in the cause of black magic hardened her, and her recent training simply focused her; she had the peaceful look of the Legion, where Amelia frequently was turning green. I'm the weaker, she thought. Gracia was always strong. When mother died and Gracia left, I had to fill those shoes, to carry on and be a heroine. And I failed at that, and I ran from being a ruler for days until I could face filling even more shoes. "You're troubled," her sister said. "I.. I can't do this," Amelia replied. "I won't be able to. I'm going to buckle, like I did when this whole thing started. You should just go on alone. You're strong and could do it all." "Oho... strength, you say?" Gracia laughed. "Funny, I was just thinking the opposite. That your will was greater." "How?" "You stayed," Gracia said simply. "You stayed back home. You stuck to your magic, and tried to uphold the values, even with mother gone. I ran. I'm the one that buckled, sister dear, fleeing into black magic to get a weapon I could get my vengeance against the killers with. All of the killers. But eventually I fell so deeply into the mystique, to forget everything white, that I dressed the part and my arrogance inflated..." Amelia was surprised. "You knew all this?" "Oh, of course not. But hindsight is always twenty-twenty," Gracia said. "I think we've both been a bit silly in past lives, sister. But that's all changing today. Yes?" Turning to look at the bones of a family burned in the coach they fled in. Amelia started to feel nauseated, but refused to, not because she wasn't offended but because she chose to carry on. The road ahead was still long towards the center of the dark. "Let's pick up the pace a little," Amelia said. "We rest, then attack in the morning." [*] A protective bubble more than a smidge stronger than the one over the city they had left encased the camp. Spirits ran high. Amelia was right to do the burials and cleanup; it helped the army and the Legion maintain morale, and determination. The Legion used Sleep spells to ensure a nightmare-free, rejuvenating rest for everybody. Dawn, or rather the less dimly lit portion of the endless night, broke with the forces of light ready. But approaching the city was no laughing matter. The Mazoku stronghold, the Center of Evil, the Dark City was guarded heavily. They were expecting Amelia's army, and felt free to attack first, to show how they could tease her forces into thinking they had a chance when they would simply be crushed a mile from the gates. It didn't work. The shield was immediately cast, the dark powers flung at the group rebounding off into the distance. Realizing the humans were no easy prey, the battle immediately raged. Gracia and Amelia exchanged looks, then sought cover, flying to a safer distance. This gesture seemed cowardly, with the Legion using every white spell in the book to defend the armed soldiers. The main battle was at the gates, indeed, but the strategy was simple; two stray sorceresses wouldn't be noticed. Even if the enemy knew it was simply a distraction, what could two weak little human girls do? The spell was very difficult to cast. It involved combining the ultimate white magic, learned from the mysterious failed sorceress, with the Giga Slave as described by the mad Lina Inverse to her guards. One alone was not enough, Melvin had calculated, working feverishly through the midnight hours. Both together, however, stood a chance. It was fitting, Amelia thought, the last notion that flitted through her head before the casting, that the poor sorceress who broke the world helped in healing it, even if she might never know. No words, no goodbyes, no encouragement. Time was short, time was now, and they had prepared enough. Amelia and Gracia circled over the Dark City, gazing into the core of it, the space where no light existed. Light formed around their bodies, hands linked, as the spell was chanted, two voices in harmony. "As tall as the tallest pillar... As bright as the darkest day... King of Darkness, Queen of Light, Shining like gold upon the Sea of Chaos, We call upon thee, swear ourselves to thee, Let the balance against the dark be restored... GIGA RESTORATION!" The battle silenced, the world stopped, the brightness tapping every shadow, the eyes burning as Gracia/Amelia gazed down at Dark City. Time had stopped for her, the unity being that had called upon the Lord of Nightmares, the golden presence that flowed from her hands. The will be done, the voice of the most beautiful woman Gracilia had ever heard said, the balance to be restored. Flying, flying into the city. Elements of the darkness had to be purged, as many as Gracilia could manage before the power flew from her control. Time was stopped, time was important. Frozen Mazoku, vanishing in the brilliance of the light, the city collapsing into itself, a sore with the pus burned from its festering lair. Soaring through nonexistent hallways, fading to vapor as she passed by, arcing through the battle with the size of a particle and the power of a wave, the fighting beasts removed from their poses of deathstroke against the humans. The golden energy, the summoned power, grew unstable and wild. The Dark City gave a final sick shudder, and melted into the loam it was founded on as the Lord of Nightmares retreated back to the sea of chaos, her task complete. The merger itself started to split, but Gracilia saw one last image before the final bell; thin wisps of spirit, a blonde-haired swordsman, a strange green shamanist, smiling in silent thanks as they were freed from the land, their prison of the dark finally healed. [*] The forces of light celebrated that night, the few remaining local villagers showing, hesitantly to join. Soon, the jovial event had spread, and news around the country was running like livewire gossip; the city of the Mazoku had fallen. But the sun did not shine the next day. Gracia and Amelia stood on a hill, overlooking the world. Grass had already started to peek through the ravished soil. "It's not over, is it?" Gracia asked. Amelia shook her head. "We've dealt an important blow. Possibly the one that will sway everything back in our favor, in time. But there's still plenty of Mazoku out there. We knew going into this that you can't heal the whole world in one stroke..." "And you can't destroy it in one blow, either," Gracia agreed. "This could take awhile. I don't think we can cast Giga Restoration again, either." "Ultra Restoration, the base spell, will do for hunting down the rest," Amelia said. "And for healing the damage they've done." "So... what's the next step, sister?" Gracia smiled. Amelia smiled as well. As did Xelloss. "Bravo, bravo," the Mazoku priest said, clapping lightly. "I had no idea you could actually pull it off." Gracia did not look surprised. "What do you want, demon?" "Demon? This coming from the one who kept my friends off your back so you could work?" Xelloss asked. "That hurts, Naga-chan." Now Gracia looked surprised. "Why would a Mazoku help destroy his own kind?" "Destroyed? How little you think of that balance you approve of," Xelloss said, waving a finger, tisk-tisk. "One little skirmish matters not. As for why, exactly... that, I'm afraid, is a secret." The priest vanished. No whiff of smoke, no light, no pop, just gone. Gracia and Amelia exchanged glances. "We'd better get to work," Amelia said. "Plenty to do, it seems." THE END "...at least, in this particular place and time."