Slayers Inversed

A fanfic by Majo-chan

Part 1: The General of Cepheed

Author’s notes: Hiya! As is usual, all disclaimers apply. Also, I admit that this was in part influenced by Theria’s Dragons Rule, ( Which is finished, Yay!). This is probably going to be a parallel universe story, but I’ll try to make it as un-confusing as possible. Enough babble, onward!

Author’s notes again (AKA Author’s Notes 2): Hiya!^_^ I guess I finally decided that it was finally time to revise the first few chapters…they’re kinda crappy, now that I look at them^_^;. Nothing much added plot-wise, but background information and some desperately needed fleshing-out is in order. Enjoy.^_^

Author’s notes #3: Looking back, I cringe at my excessive use of random Japanese, lack of punctuation and grammar skills, and wonder how anyone can bear to read this. I don’t think there’s anything I can do about the random Japanese anymore, but I’ve done my best to correct the grammar here so it’s not as hideous.

**

It was a place that was opposite of existence, a place of nothingness, a void that swallowed light and darkness alike. The gray-gold patterns shifted lazily, chaotically, as streams of golden water rippled from what appeared to be a large lake that stretched beyond sight, rushing toward the empty horizon.

Standing at the edge of the water, in contrast with the unearthly beauty of the land/waterscape, was a woman clad in simple armor. The water reflected a soft yellow light at her, bleaching everything around it of color. She was looking at the expanse of water in front of her, as if expecting it to speak. When it didn’t, she shrugged and turned away, layers of reality warping as she started her teleport.

Lina.

She stopped as if to listen. Space and time whirled madly around her like petals ripped from a flower in a storm.

Her Name is Lina Inverse.

**

“Lina-san?” A tentative voice called from the door, startling the young woman from her thoughts and also contemplation from the mirror. The red-haired reflection of herself turned to meet the blue eyes of the younger girl behind her.

“Amelia?” Ahe murmured as she stood up. It was a little late for anyone else to be up. Usually the Dragons called lights out a few hours after sunset.

Her maid walked in timidly. “Lina-san, did you need anything?”

The priestess sighed, feeling the old pang of wrongness that always hit her when Amelia behaved like that. Amelia had always been a friend, sometimes like a younger sister to her, and she had never wanted the girl to be her servant. But circumstances were beyond her meager control, and it was the only way to keep her here at the Dragon’s Sanctuary. If Amelia left, there would be no way for the young girl to survive out in the world, alone as she was. “No, Amelia. Why don’t you get some rest?"

The girl smiled sadly, her deep blue eyes wise beyond her years. “It’s okay, Lina-san. I’m not tired."

“Couldn’t sleep either?” Lina jested, keeping her tone light. It was all too easy for the younger girl to slip into a depression without her adding to it with her own semi-dark ponderings. “Why don’t you make us some snacks, then? Oh, and make some for Gourry too.” The jellyfish always finds his way here at around this time…

“Yes, Lina-san.” With a small bow, Amelia backed out of her room. Lina heard the click as the door closed.

Lina Inverse went back to contemplating her reflection…and her situation. She hated it here at the Sanctuary. Despite the simple elegance of the Dragons’ residences and the protection granted to humans within its walls, she couldn’t help but feel that the Sanctuary was merely an elaborately decorated and subtly disguised cage. Of course, it was the safest place since the war, as the dragons loved to tell them… but considering the fact that there was no more war…something about these unearthly structures that just bothered her to no end.

It had been a thousand years since the War of the Monsters’ Fall. The Ryuzoku had won that war and sealed the five Mazoku Lords away with one piece of the Dark Lord, Shabranigdo. Since then, humans and dragons have lived together, side by side, the weaker race enjoying the protection and prosperity of the ancient race.

Lived together? She wondered wryly. More like oppressed under.

“Of course there is still the threat of the evil mazoku,” she muttered under her breath. “Oh, dear! There are still demons running around! That’s why we mighty dragons must protect you weak humans,” yeah right. With the Sealing of the more powerful of the Demon Race, the only threat that the Mazoku presented were in random bands of weak Lesser Mazoku that were no match for the Dragon Army, and an occasional rogue Greater Mazoku that survived the war without being Sealed or killed. And the dragons had already been taking care of those with regular sweeps of the continent, efficiently and ruthlessly eliminating any mazoku that they find with their army. Which means, in laymen’s terms, that the mazoku weren’t much of a threat at all.

“Lina? Is that you?"

Lina jumped a foot into the air, but relaxed when her brain recognized the familiar voice...not that she knew what he was doing here at this time of night. "I’m in here, Gourry. Come on in."

The less than brilliant captain of the guard did as she told. It was more of an honorary title than anything else, even though Lina admit the blond had impressive skill with the sword. That was poor, sweet Gourry, her best friend for most of her life. All brawn and no brains. She smiled at that, though she knew she shouldn’t. Maybe Gourry was the smartest out of all of them, by living his life without thinking too much. "Were you talking to someone?” he asked with one of his sunny smiles as he closed the door behind him.

“No, Gourry,” she replied, rolling her eyes. “I’m not THAT weird. What are you doing up this late?” Lina refrained from asking what he was doing here, knowing that he’ll probably explain himself without knowing that he was doing it.

He scratched his head. “I had guard duty, but I just finished my shift. Amelia caught me before I left and told me she was taking snacks up here. So I came."

“Silly Gourry,” Lina sighed. Trust him to have come on the mention of food. Deciding it wasn’t worth it to chide him about a habit that she herself was guilty of, she changed the subject. “So, anything exciting happen today?"

“I don’t remember,” was the cheerful reply. Lina almost toppled out of her chair.

“I forgot,” she muttered as she righted herself. Gourry smiled as he sat down on one of the spare chairs that Amelia usually occupied. “You have the worst memory of all the people I know."

“Yup,” he replied. “Oh, there was something…” the swordsman frowned as he tried to get his memory to cooperate. “There was a big commotion today when the General arrived."

Lina took a few seconds to digest that, fitting it to her own impressions of the day. "I heard,” she mused. “Funny thing is that I’ve never heard of Cepheed having a general. After all, Nee-san is his Knight. Why does he need a general?"

“I dunno. The Dragons usually don’t tell us too much, right?” Gourry shrugged and Lina had to admit he had a very good point. Before she could consider that too much, though, he continued. “She’s pretty though."

“She?”

“It’s a she,” Gourry confirmed. Lina was mildly surprised that he remembered, considering his faulty memory. Maybe Gourry had deemed it important that the Cepheed General was female, since that was the only time he ever remembered anything at all. “I heard rumors that she was here to interrogate the demon that the Black Dragons brought over."

Lina raised an eyebrow at that bit of information. “Wow, I’m amazed you remember that much.” She replied dryly.

“Lina-san, Gourry-san,” Amelia’s voice came to them. “Open the door please?"

The blond got up and opened the door. “Ah, here you…”Gourry blinked intelligently at the huge tray of food the girl was holding. “You didn’t get the jelly roll thingies!"

Lina whacked him. “Jelly roll, my foot! Go get it yourself if you want them, Jellyfish brains…"

“Ow…what did I do?"

**

Although most of the stairs of the Dragons’ Sanctuary wound up toward the heavens, there were quite a few those plunged deep into the bowels of the earth. The dungeon was built under the Sanctuary, deep underground, far from any semblance of light. The dungeons of the Sanctuary were known for their strong holding and sealing spells, a necessity when trying to imprison demons.

“Here we are, my Lady.” The guide nodded, bowing before he retreated back up the endless stairs. The woman nodded back before his departure, her shadow flickering slightly in the torchlight. Her face was hidden in shadows, although he had caught a glimpse of dark, dark blue eyes before the darkness of the deep underground swallowed sight.

“Open the locks,” she said, turning to the guards in front of the heavy double doors, her tone emotionless.

“But…”The guards exchanged fearful looks.

“Open them."

Perhaps it was her commanding presence, or the cold voice. Or it might have been that the fear she struck in the guards’ hearts was greater than their fear of whatever was behind the thick doors, locked twice over and covered in magic seals. The point was that they opened the door. She gestured for them to leave her.

“General-sama…"

“Leave,” she said with exasperation. They eyed her giant war axe and left. Nothing like a six-foot tall axe to catch someone’s attention. The lady shifted her axe to her left hand, brushing a strand of golden hair behind her ear as she entered the cell, her boots tapping hollowly against the hard stone floor. Briefly she paused right in the doorway and tested the strength of the wards. The shock of the energy sent back to her convinced she was in the right place. A place that light seemed to have forsaken.

“Well, well. I get a visitor?” A soft voice murmured. She turned to face the direction that the voice came from, but it was nearly impossible to see anything in the darkness. No matter, she could sense where he was just as well as if it had been bright as noon inside the cell. “That is highly unusual.” The voice continued to muse.

“Did you put out all the lights?” She asked in return, casting a Light spell. The pinpoint of light expanded and the room lit up. It only took her a second to adjust to the light and she got a good look at the demon she wanted to kill.

He cringed a little at the light, the jewel gleams from his eyes disappearing as he closed them in a smile. It annoyed her, that smile. So cheerful and fearless, mocking, even. It was as if he was secretly laughing at some private joke that was on her. It annoyed her to no end. “Why, how nice. I have a visitor, and it’s a pretty Dragon too."

“Watch your mouth, Demon,” She retorted, her patience was running out a lot faster than she had expected. She steeled herself against the almost overwhelming hatred she felt in his presence. “I’m not here to play your little games. I’m giving you one last chance. Tell me what I want to know."

The demon gave her an amused look, his smile tilting just a fraction and she felt her anger increase another notch. That smile, that damned smile. “And you tell me, pretty Dragon,” He replied, “Why would I tell you something that I haven’t told anyone else? After all, I doubt you can do anything worse than what they did."

“Because I’ll kill you if you don’t.” She hissed, fine thread of patience snapping as she lunged forward, grabbing his neck. The demon didn’t seem to be bothered by the steel fingers clamped around his throat. Instead, he chuckled and opened his eyes.

“You’ll kill me anyway,” he whispered to her, seeing a flash of surprise hit her blue eyes, then the sudden darkening as the surprise passed into anger again. “I can see it in your eyes. Your hate is very tasty, pretty Dragon."

“Stop calling me that!” she snarled. “Damn you.” He could see his reflection in her large eyes. Such pretty eyes, blue like sapphires…

“A Golden Dragon,” he murmured, realization dawning. “I see why you hate me now, my pretty little Dragon.” The smug tone of his voice made her bite her lip and turn pale with rage. The dragon tightened her grip on his throat and shook him, slamming him into the wall.

Bloodstained ground, broken spires, debris littering the ground...

Broken bodies, mangled remains, screams and cries of pain…

Smoke and fire blending into the red sunset that matched the color of the ground…

Trying to shut him up, trying to shut up the memories of voices inside her mind.

“SHUT UP!” with one final slam, she released him, backing away. “Damn you…” Tears filled her vision as she stomped out of the cell, slamming the door shut and reactivating all the wards, probably much more vehemently than she should have. Once out, she pounded both fists against the door, wanting it to be his face, breathing harshly through clenched teeth as she tried to wrestle back control.

Damn him for bringing up what happened. Damn him for destroying her race. Damn him for reminding her. Damn him for making her lose control.

Damn that mazoku.

The General of Cepheed controlled herself with difficulty. Gradually, her breathing leveled out and she wiped the remains of her tears away tensely. That wasn’t important. That demon will pay for his crimes soon enough, she will make sure of it herself. She would kill him with her own hands. But that’s not something she could do now. He has information. Information that the Dragons need in order to keep the mazoku from ever being a threat again. She needed that information. And she will get it, even if she has to shake it out of him personally.

The sound of footsteps made itself known and she closed her eyes. Familiar footsteps, tap-tap of heels against the stone floor. Not quite as loud as boots, not as muffled as the soft cloth shoes that some humans seem to favor. Low heels.

“Am I interrupting anything?” A quiet voice asked as the footsteps stopped about two arm’s length away. Not far enough away to need to raise her voice from more than a quiet conversational tone, not close enough to intrude on her personal space. A safe distance. No matter, she already knew who was here.

She looked up. “Hello, Luna."

The Knight of Cepheed gave her what must have been an appraising look from under her bangs. “You look terrible,” she finally said, taking the General’s arm. “Go get some rest, Filia."

End Part 1

End Part 1 ver.2