Author's note: I had enough fun on the Addventure.  Now back to my
stuff. A rework of  Heaven's Arrow

The rights to Slayers belongs to the appropriate companies.  This is a
non-profit work of fiction.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
01

Lina woke up with a start and looked around.  "Gourry?"

 Blinking back tears, Lina looked around her bedroom and shook her
head.

 "Who's Gourry?  It must have been a dream."

 Lina got out of her bed and washed her face of tear streaks.  She
kept trying to put a smile on, but she felt like she was about to cry.

 'Must be anexity about the next spell I can afford to learn.
Maybe I should come up with a way to make money.  I could show pictures
of Luna bathing.'

 'NO!'

  The force of that thought caused Lina to stumble.  She collapsed
to her knees and held her forehead with her hands.  She brought her
hands to her lips and breathed hard.

 "What happened?  I guess I should heed whatever that was."

  Lina stood up and went over to her school spellbook and opened it
up.  She flipped it open to the two spells she was currently working
on: Ra Tilt and Dragon Slave.

 Grimacing, Lina thought, 'I can only afford to research one, if I
want to get any other spells.'

 She looked at the description of the strongest spell in all of
Black Magic.  The Chaos Words that were needed to cast the spell formed
in her mind.  She felt that it was the correct spell.  She flipped open
the book and went through spells that she knew she hadn't learned yet.
The Chaos Words for spell after spell appeared in her mind.  She even
had a variation on the Ferrous Bleed spell called Zelas Golt, a spell
to summon jellyfish.

 'How do I know these spells?' Lina thought, as she sat down on
her bed.

 Lina clenched her fists and shook her head.  "I guess I'll study
Ra Tilt.  The Dragon Slave won't be useful to me there."

 "There?  Where?  What's going on with me?"

 Lina closed her eyes and took some deep breaths. 'Okay.  First I
learn Ra Tilt and then I go search for some answers.  Since I know all
those other spells, what should I research?'

 Lina traced an imaginary circle on the cover of her bed and
looked at it.

 She frowned.  "A spellbook in the form of a sphere?  Okay.  I'm
really coming up with some weird ideas.  What's next?  I know a spell
stronger than the Dragon Slave?"

 As soon as she said that, the Chaos Words for two other spells
appeared in her mind along with the full knowledge of just who those
spells called upon.  Lina trembled as she thought of 'The Lord of
Nightmares' and the spells Ragna Blade and Giga-Slave.

 "I need answers and I don't think Luna is going to have them.
Get the Ra Tilt and get the information to create that spellbook-sphere
and find out what's going on."

 Lina stood up and gathered her things up.  She looked around her
room one last time and turned her back on it.

 "I'm only eleven and I have the feeling I won't be back for a
long time.  Off to finish my studies."

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////

 Lina looked at the local Sorcerer's Guild and went into the
lobby.  A white bearded old man wearing green robes was studying a book
behind a counter.  He looked up as Lina came in.

 "Ah.  Lina, it's good to see you again," the old man said.  "So
what spells are you going to research today?"

 "Ra Tilt and how to create a certain magic item, Bervo."

 Bervo got up from behind the counter and gathered some books up.
"Magic item?  What sort?"

 Lina blushed and replied, "It's kind of silly.  A sphere that can
store knowledge and can hold spell information for later studying.  A
sort of a magical spell book."

 Bervo looked at Lina oddly. "Uh.  Right.  I think this is going
to be in the obscure category."

 Bervo set the books down in front of Lina and held out his palm.
Lina sighed and handed him some gold coins.

 Bervo nodded and said, "There's the books for the Ra Tilt.  Now,
I'll try to find the appropriate spells for that magic item you want to
create."

 Lina nodded and opened a book up.  'I'm not going to give up on
this.  For some reason I know the incantation, but not the Chaos
Words.'

 Lina used her sudden knowledge to quickly find the Chaos Words
that was spread among the five spellbooks.  She quickly scribed the
words down and found a way to refine her Elemkia Flame spell as well.
Closing the books, she looked at her hands.

 "Did I have a dream that put this knowledge in my head?" Lina
asked herself.

 Bervo came back with a single book and heard Lina.  "A dream that
gave you knowledge?  It occasionally happens.  Not very often.
Usually, just a spell or two.  Maybe a group of related spells.  All it
did was give you insight into spells that you were researching.  At any
rate, this is the only book with any knowledge of creating a knowledge
sphere.  Well, it's one of several copies of that book.  We have about
twenty of the silly books.  I'll just sell you that copy and I removed
all the others, save one, from the shelves.  I can use the space."

 Lina paid Bervo some more gold and took the book.  She read
through the book and mentally went over her funds.  She shook her head
in sad amusement.

 'Not enough funds to create this.'

 Bervo sat down behind the counter and looked at Lina. "So, do you
think you'll be able to take your exam before your money runs out?"

 Lina blinked a bit and smiled. "I'm going to see if I pass
today."

 Bervo fell off his chair and shot back to his feet.  "You're
going to fail!  Even if you did have a dream that gave you an insight
into a group of spells, you won't succeed!"

 Lina smiled.  "I don't know.  I think I might have a few
surprises up my sleeve."

 Bervo waved his hand in front of his face.  "I am so certain that
you won't pass, that I'll place a wager on it."

 "Oh?  What?"

 Bervo pointed at the book that Lina had just bought.  "I will
give you the materials to make the best knowledge sphere that can be
possibly made and allow you to make it in my own lab."

 "Be prepared to lose," Lina said, as she headed for the testing
grounds.

 Bervo shook his head in exasperation. "Lina the Foolish is what
they are going to call you, after you fail."

 A sudden premonition of doom hit Bervo as he stared in the
direction Lina went.

 "Just in case, I'd better get the stuff ready for her."

///////////////////////////////////////

 In another part of the guild was an oval stone amphitheater with
seats arranged in tiers.  At one end of the oval was two doors that led
into the theatre and above the doors was a box that allowed the head of
the local guild to watch students testing their spells.  Lina was on
the ground looking up at the box. Barvacian the Green looked down at
Lina from the observation box.

 "Let me get this straight Lina Inverse.  You wish to take the
test of Mastery?"

 Lina nodded.

 "The test is very hard, and very few people have accomplished
it."

 "I know.  But I believe that I am ready."

 Barvacian asked, "What?  Did you do cut a deal with a Mazoku?"

 "My sister would kill me if I did that," Lina replied. "I would
rather face Ruby Eye Shabranigdo than get on my sister's bad side."

 Barvacian sighed. "On your head be it for your foolishness."

 Lina bowed and turned towards the opposite end of the oval.  The
other students pointed and laughed at Lina, as they head into the pews.
A bracelet landed on Lina's shoulder.  Lina grabbed it and stared at
it.

 Barvacian explained, "That bracelet will boost your spell
capacity once and fade away.  You'll have to decide when to use it.  It
should protect you from your own foolishness."

 Lina asked, "Can any Mazoku sense what goes on in here?"

 That question caught Barvacian off guard. "Uh.  No.  Why?"

 Lina smiled as she slipped on the bracelet. "If I need this,
you'll see."

 Lina waited for the test to begin.  Barvacian raised his hand and
magically created images of Bras Demons appeared.

 The Chief Councilor of this branch of the Sorcerer's Guild
explained, "You will be tested against various illusions of creatures
you will probably encounter as a wandering mage.  You have to prove you
can survive."

 Lina didn't waist time, "ELMEKIA LANCE!"

 Bolts of green light struck three of the illusions and they
quickly faded out.  Lina's test was underway.  After the first four
groups of monsters were defeated handily, the laughter died out.
Barvacian frowned, as he kept upping the difficulty of Lina's
opponents.

 Barvacian thought, 'She's good.  At least she won't suffer from
embarrassment from challenging too early.  Now it's time to move on to
the big stuff.'

 Illusions of Trolls and Vampires appeared.  Lina tried reaching
for a sword, but found none there.  She dispatched the Vampires quickly
enough with Asha Dist and then jumped around the Trolls and cast some
weird spell by touching them.  Landing, she grabbed a stick from the
ground and then wildly scratched the Trolls with the stick.  The
laughter started up again, but stopped as everyone stared in shock as
the Trolls imploded.  Several students started throwing up.

 Barvacian stared at the fading Troll illusions.  'That was new.
Reversing Recovery to cause the Trolls own regeneration to turn back on
itself.  She's going to be the youngest person to ever get through
this.'

 Lina faced down the last few challenges and waited.

 'She's earned her Color, but I'm going to take her down a notch.
Let's see how she handles a dragon.'

 Seeing the dragon, Lina started reciting a spell.  "Darkness
beyond twilight.  Crimson beyond blood that flows.  Buried in the
stream of time is where your power grows.  I pledge myself to conquer
all the foes who stand before the mighty gift bestowed in my unworthy
hand.  Let the fools who stand before me be destroyed by the power you
and I posses.  DRAGON SLAVE!"

 A ball of red light sped from Lina's hands and exploded against
the illusionary dragon.  The amphitheater's magic shields kicked in and
protected everyone from the blast of the Dragon Slave.

 Barvacian leaned on his fist and stared at the youngest sorceress
ever to cast a Dragon Slave.  'Okay.  I can't take her down a notch.
She's earned her Color.'

 Barvacian stood up and proclaimed.  "Lina Inverse you have passed
your test of Mastery and I hereby award you the Title of Color.  You
are now Lina the Pink."

 Lina muttered under her breath.  "I hate pink."


02

 Lina waited for Barvacian in the lobby of the guild.  She looked
down at her hands and thought about her recent test.  She smiled
ruefully and shook her head.

 "That was far too easy for me to get through.  What happened to
me?  Why do I know so much magic?"

 Coming into the lobby, Barvacian heard Lina's musings.  He
stopped and scratched his beard.

 "I was going to cast a spell on you to force the truth out of
you, to see if you cheated.  But by that, you did not and have no idea
on how you accomplished it."

 Lina shook her head.  "I have the feeling that I have to do
something important if I want to have any peace of mind, but I have no
idea on what it might be.  It is something that will force me to
abandon Black Magic for long periods of time.  That much I'm sure of."

  The head mage frowned and replied, "I have no idea what you would
have to do that would require you to abandon Black Magic.  At any rate,
here's your sash and diploma."

 Lina ruefully took the pink sash and diploma and stored them in
her cape.  She took a deep breath and headed towards the magic lab of
Bervo.  She smiled at what she was about to create.

  'My feelings say that I'm going to be going places where I'll
find a lot of new knowledge.  This knowledge sphere will help out
loads.  There was also a spell in the back of the book that activates
the sphere to copy knowledge into the sphere.'

 Barvacian watched Lina go.  "I'm still going to have her big
sister, Luna, talk to her.  There's something going on with her that
feels wrong."

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

 Lina entered Bervo's lab and smiled at what she saw.  Bervo had
gathered several crystals, gems, and various types of metals to allow
Lina to create her sphere.  Bervo was igniting the fires of a kiln that
would allow Lina to shape the sphere.

 Bervo sighed and looked up.  "I see you're here, Lina.  I don't
even have to ask, I heard the Dragon Slave go off.  That must have been
some dream."

 "It must have been or it might have been something else.  I don't
know.  At any rate, I'm here to create my sphere."

 Bervo nodded.  "I figured.  Actually, I am kind of curious about
that item myself.  It's something I have never seen created before."

 "And you do specialize in magic items," Lina added, as she pulled
out her book and sat it down.

 Opening the pages, Lina picked up a large sapphire and started
reciting the spell to prime it for use.  After it was done, she grabbed
some silver from the metal pile and recited a different spell to change
the shape of the silver to surround the sapphire.

 Looking at the silver encased sapphire, Lina muttered, "The core
is ready.  Now to get to the proper size for me and get how much it can
store as high as I can."

 Lina alternated between grabbing sapphires and silver from the
gems and precious metals.  She cast spells that reshaped the metal and
crystals into a sphere form.  Soon, she had a sphere that could fit in
her hand.  She took a deep breath and grabbed a coin shaped onyx and a
small gold rod.  She turned so Bervo couldn't see the pattern she put
on both sides of the onyx with the gold.  She placed the coin onto the
sphere and recited one last spell.  She watched as the coin was drawn
into the sphere and caused the sapphire and silver ball to light up.

Lina thought, 'I know the book said to use the symbol for Shabranigdo
on one side of the coin and Cephied on the other.  But, I have the
feeling that using the Lord of Nightmare's symbol on both sides will
work much better.'

 Lina picked up her new toy and stared at it.  "This should be
useful."

 Bervo nodded.  "I agree.  I did read the book myself.  I think
you went overboard on how much it could store.  Unless you come across
the Claire Bible, I don't think you'll ever fill that thing up."

 Lina frowned, as she thought about Bervo's comment.  'The Claire
Bible?  I think there is a place where there is a complete manuscript.
That's for later though.  I think the original Claire Bible looks like
my knowledge sphere.  Why, I have no idea.  By switching out for the
Lord of Nightmares, I think I increased the capacity of my sphere even
more.'

 Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, Lina replied, "Maybe.
I'm just being cautious.  Better to have too much room than not enough.
I'll transfer my spells and knowledge into it later.  I've got a
journey to prepare for."

 Lina put her new toy away and looked at her wrist.  'Oops.  I
guess I still have that booster.  I'll save it for when I really need
it.'

 Lina removed the bracelet and stored it as well.  Sighing, she
left the Guild and was about to set off when she saw Luna.  Repressing
a shudder, Lina went over to her.

 "Hi, Luna.  What are you doing here?"

 Luna stared down at her younger sister who fidgeted nervously.
"I'm here because Barvacian asked me to talk to you.  Lina, did you
make a deal with a Mazoku to pass this test?"

 "No."

 "Then how did you pass the test today?"

 Lina threw up her hands in exasperation.  "That's what I want to
know.  I woke up today and had all these spells in my head that I know
I didn't learn.  Some of the spells I haven't even heard of before now.
I want to know why I have these spells.  I want to know what it is that
I feel I have to do to have peace of mind.  I want to know why I woke
up feeling like crying.  I don't have the answers."

 Luna took a step back and considered her younger sister.  "Lina?
I take it you will be leaving to find the answers?"

 Lina nodded.  "Yes.  I know that somewhere out there must be some
clue as to what happened to me.  Once I find that, I might be able to
figure out what is going on.  The sooner I start, the sooner I'll find
it."

 "Good luck, Lina.  I have the feeling you are going to need it."

 Lina nodded, as she walked away from Zefillia.

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

 As she walked down the road, Lina thought about what she was
doing.

 'I'm on a quest to find answers and I have no idea where to
begin.  I'm also going to need a source of funds.'

 Lina wracked her brain trying to come up with an idea.  She
stopped, as she felt hostile forces start to surround her.  She got
into a ready position as she waited.

 A scraggly looking man wielding a club came out of the woods that
surrounded the road Lina was on and grinned wickedly.  Lina quickly
identified him as a notorious bandit leader that had been preying on
travelers for weeks.

 "So?  A little lady who thinks she can just walk through our
forest without paying a fee?  I'd say she needs a lesson in proper
manners.  Hand over your money and we will be gentle with you."

 Lina smirked and shot back, "Why don't you hand over your money,
and I might let you live."

 The bandit leader's mouth dropped open in shock and then he
started laughing.  "You know little girl, you are a real piece of work.
No one has had the audacity to say that to us."

 Leaning his club against his leg, the bandit leaded cracked his
knuckles.  "However, it was the wrong thing to say.  I'm sorry, but we
have to make an example out of any one who defies us."

 Lina acted first.  "Fireball!"

 The ball of flames caught the leader off guard and severely
burned him.  He dropped to the ground dying.  Lina ignored him and
turned her attention to the rest of the bandit gang in the woods.

 "This is fun," Lina said, as she cast several spells to kill the
bandits.

 Lina occasionally had to switch to punching and kicking to attack
the bandits.  After several minutes, the battle ended and Lina stood
over the corpses of the destroyed bandit gang.  Lina gathered up the
swords from the bandits that had them and looked at them.

 "I'm going to need a sword," Lina said, as she banged each sword
into a boulder along the flat of the blade.

 The low quality swords that Lina had taken each broke upon
impacting the boulder.  One sword did stand up to the test, but it had
several cracks in the blade.  Lina frowned as she looked at the sword.

 "This sword should have broke.  I'd better backtrack to the
bandit's hideout.  I think I've found my source of income.  Bandit
slaying for fun and profit.  Why does that feel so familiar?"

 Lina took her 'new' sword and did just that.  She soon found the
cavern where she spotted more bandits.  She smiled in anticipation.

 "Another workout?  Maybe I can get a better sword from these
bandits."

 Lina launched a fireball into the midst of the bandits.  The
explosion knocked them all down.  She quickly stepped into a place
where she could be seen.

 One of the bandits demanded, "Who are you?"

 Lina flicked her hair back and struck a pose.  "I'm the
beautiful, talented young sorcery genius Lina Inverse.  Get ready to
die, bandits."

 Said bandits weren't taking too well to be threatened by a young
girl.   The stood up and charged Lina en masse.  Lina led the group
away from the cave and then doubled back, so that she had the cave
behind her and the bandits in front of her.  Lina started chanting

 "Darkness beyond twilight.  Crimson beyond blood that flows.
Buried in the stream of time is where your power grows."

 The bandit gang came charging back and stopped seeing Lina
glowing with power.

 "I pledge myself to conquer all the foes who stand before the
mighty gift bestowed in my unworthy hand."

 One of the bandits shuddered and said, "Th-th-that spell.  I-i-it
can't be.  Run!  It's the Dragon Slave."

 One of the other bandits looked at his companion in disbelief.
"You have to be joking.  A little girl able to cast that spell?"

 "Let the fools who stand before me be destroyed by the power you
and I posses. Dragon Slave!"

  A sphere of red light shot from Lina's hand and blew the bandits
away.  The one who had identified the spell had managed to get out of
the line of fire and ran screaming into the woods.

 "Oh my god!  She's a monster!  Help!"

 Lina sighed and went into the cave.  She frowned as she saw that
there were no other swords that she could use.  Putting aside her
weapon needs for the moment, Lina found the treasure room and nodded in
satisfaction.  There were huge mounds of coins in various metals, as
well as some gems.  Lina spotted some books and scrolls that might have
knowledge.  That decided her first action.

 Pulling out her knowledge sphere, Lina chanted a spell.

 "Sphere of crystal and metal I now call upon your power.
Knowledge that is scattered before me allow yourself to now be shared."

 Bolts of blue and white lightning sped forth from the sphere and
struck the books and scrolls.  Energy crackled between the paper
products and Lina's sphere.  Soon, the lightning died out and Lina
'looked' inside her sphere.

 "Not bad.  Some spell information and a bit of history."

 Lina picked up a couple books and compared them to what was in
the sphere.  "Nice.  The sphere dumps redundant information, but it
will leave information that is contradictory until one or the other is
proven.  Speaking of which, I'd better take care of that now."

 Lina opened her mind to her sphere and allowed her knowledge to
flow inside it.  She looked back in and was astounded by how much
information she had added.  Spells, history, knowledge of magical
artifacts.

 "This is weird.  Where do I begin searching for answers?"

 Even though the question was rhetorical, an image from the sphere
came to the forefront.

 "Mipross Island?  Well, it's better than nothing."

 Lina put the globe away and started gathering up as much loot as
she could possibly carry.  She pulled out her sword and threw it at a
wall in exasperation.

 "A piece of junk sword.  But it seems to be the best those
bandits had."

 Whatever else Lina was about to say was cut off, as a stalactite
fell from the ceiling and crashed against the blade of her sword.  Bits
of metal went flying everywhere

 Lina saw that and sarcastically said, "Oh look, I broke my sword.
No great loss.  Maybe I can get something for the hilt.  It did have
some silver etching on it."

 Lina walked over to the sword and picked up the hilt.  What she
didn't expect was that the hilt still had a blade attached to it.  It
was a thin blade made out of some strange lavender metal.  There was a
slight glow surrounding the sword now and Lina could feel the power
coming from it.

 "What is this?" Lina asked in awe.

 Even with the knowledge she had in the sphere, no answers were
forthcoming.

03

 Lina carefully hefted a blanket wrapped around some long object.
She grimaced as she thought of what she had just acquired.

 'Some sword.  It's so sharp that it will cut apart any sheath it
is put in.  If I drop it, it will cut straight through stone and is
only stopped by the hilt from going any further.  I can't carry this
thing unsheathed, I might kill someone or myself by accident.  It's
sharp to the point of uselessness.'

 Lina growled, as she strapped the bundle across her back. 'I have
the hilt set so it can't move and the cloth just prevents me from
cutting myself on that absurdly sharp sword.'

 She sighed and headed towards the nearest town.  As she walked,
she took a bit closer notice of the forest.  She hunted for different
sorts of trees and animals, trying to figure out why she felt that she
had been here before.  Soon a town came into view and Lina made her way
to the magic shop in town.

 'I'll have to take a slight loss, since I don't have the
ingredients to make that talisman liquid yet.  Or, I'll just keep the
flawed gems for later use.'

 Entering the store, Lina tapped on the counter.

 "Hello?"

 A bald, wiry man came out of the back and walked up to the
counter.

 "Greetings, young miss.  I am Jons.  What can I do for you?" the
propieter asked.

 "I'd like to buy a magic sheath.  It needs to be incredibly
strong," Lina said.

 Jons looked at Lina askew.  "You don't have a sword."

  Lina replied by removing the cloth bundle strapped across he back
and carefully unfurling it.  Jons stared in awe at the shimmering blade
that had just been revealed.

 Jons gingerly reached out to pick up the sword and looked up at
Lina.  "May I?"

 "Be very careful.  That sword is incredibly sharp."

 Nodding, Jons lifted the sword from the table.  He gave an
experimental swing and sliced a standing suit of armor, that was behind
the counter, in half.  After doing that, he put the sword back on the
table and backed away from it.

 "I see what you mean.  That armor was enchanted.  Impressive
sword.  The blade looks like a cross between metal and amethyst.
Probably not what its made out of.  It just what appears to be.  I'll
see what I have."

 Lina waited as Jons hunted for some sort of sheath.  He pulled
out five sheaths.  He laughed and put one of them down.  Shaking his
head, he returned with the remaining four.

 "These are the only long sword sheaths that I have," Jons
explained.  "That sheath I left behind is cursed."

 Jons picked up Lina's sword and sheathed it.  As he drew it out,
the sword bisected the sheath.  Frowning, he tried the other three
sheaths.  Each time, the sword did the same thing.  He placed the
lavender blade back on the table and glared at it.

 "That sword has just cost me a lot of money.  I have never heard
of a sword this sharp before.  This is crazy."

 Lina looked at the remaining sheath.  The one that Jons said was
cursed.  She pointed at it.

 "What about that one?  What's the curse on it?"

  Jons waved his hand dismissively.  "It dulls swords.  A non-magic
sword that is placed in the sheath needs to be re-sharpened completely.
A magic sword regains its edge after a while.  The stronger the sword
is, the quicker it regains its edge.  The strongest sword needs about
fifteen minutes to regain its sharpness."

 Lina stared at the sheath and then down at her sword.  "What
about my sword?  How long would it take to regain its edge?  How much
does it dull the sword?"

 Jons picked up the cursed sheath.  "You are paying for this
sheath.  The armor was my fault and I underestimated the sword's
sharpness.  I do need to make some money."

 Lina nodded and put a few rubies on the counter.  'If that sheath
can contain the sword's power, this is a bargain."

 Jons took a deep breath and sheathed the lavender sword for the
fifth time.  He pulled the blade out and saw with relief that the
sheath was not cut apart.  He took a look at the blade.  Almost as soon
as he looked at the blade, the sword had started glittering with its
full power.  Jons almost dropped the sword in shock.

 "This blade....  This sword.... How?"

 Lina, curious, asked, "What's wrong?"

 Jons stared at renewed wonder at the blade.  "This sword regained
its edge after a few moments.  I'd estimate that it has its full
sharpness regained after a ten count.  And from what I saw before it
regained its edge, it is still sharp.  What is this sword?"

 Lina shrugged.  "I have no idea.  It had another blade around it,
hiding its true power.  I discovered it by accident."

  Shaking his head, Jons re-sheathed the sword and handed it to
Lina.  He picked up the rubies and nodded.

 "This should cover it.  Anything else?  Please make it a more
reasonable request."

 Strapping the sword to her waist, Lina laughed and asked for some
alchemial ingredients and some parchments.  Jons breathed a sigh of
relief and gathered them up.

 Jons said, "Must have some flawed gems you want to turn into
talismans.  This, I can easily handle.  It's going to take me some time
to repair those sheaths."

 After Lina had got her ingredients, parchments, and some other
potions, she left the magic shop with a smile on her face.

 "A cursed dulling sheath is the only sheath that can stand up to
my sword," Lina muttered to herself, chuckling.  "Well, I don't have to
buy a sword now.  Right now, I need to find out where Mipross Island
is.  Island?  That means a coast."

 Lina went to an inn and bought a room for the night and a large
meal.  After eating, she went up to her room and sat on the bed.  She
laid the sheath across her lap and grasped the hilt of her sword.

 "Whatever you are, you have given me a good laugh and saved me a
bit of money."

 Lina hung the sword on the bedpost and went to sleep after
casting some seal and alarm wards on the window and door.

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

 As the sun rose, Lina woke up and made sure that her sword was
still there.  After seeing that it was, she got dressed and puled out
her knowledge sphere.  Staring into it, she relayed yesterday's events
into the globe.

 "I might as well make it a diary as well.  Not that I don't trust
Jons.....  Okay, I don't trust him.  I'd better leave before anything
happens."

  Lina put the sphere away and strapped her sword back on.  She
dispelled the wards and opened the door.  She saw two big burly men
dozing slightly in the hallway.  Lina quickly closed the door, before
they knew what was going.  She looked out the window and saw that
another two men were stationed at the front of the inn.  However they
were staring at the inn's door, not at the windows.

 "I thought my sword might be a little too tempting," Lina
muttered, as she opened a window.

 Lina stepped into the open air.  "Raywing!"

 Lina flew away from the inn, leaving the men far behind.
Sighing, she thought about the problem.

 "I don't think Jons is going to give up, unless I pay him a
visit."

 Lina landed in front of the magic shop and opened the door.  She
waited silently.

 Jons rubbed his hands together, as he came out from the back.
"Did you get the sword from her?   Eeep!"

 Jons paled, as he saw Lina standing there with her sword drawn
and pointed at him.

 "I evaded your bully boys," Lina stated flatly.  "I don't have
time to deal with this nonsense."

 Jons clenched and unclenched his fists in fear.  He looked past
Lina and saw that some of the men he had hired had returned.  Seeing
the look of relief, Lina jumped to the side of the room and prepared.
Five large men came in and saw Lina with the sword drawn.  One of the
men cracked his knuckles.

 "I don't know how you got past us little girl, but there's five
of us and only one of you.  What's your name, so we can put it on your
tombstone?"

 "Lina.  Lina Inverse."

 The leader of the men said, "Well then Lina Inverse, if you just
hand over your sword, we'll let you live and leave."

 Lina shifted her sword to her left hand and traced an imaginary
circle around the five men.  A circle of flames started forming around
the group of men.

 "It's nice that you are all together.  Fireball!"

 The fiery sphere imploded, taking the five men out.  Before Lina
had a chance to turn on Jons, some of the local constabulary came
barging in.

 "Miss?  Are you all right?"  one of the guards asked.

 Another guard pointed at the pile of men.  "I think that answers
that question."

 Lina asked, "What's going on?"

 The Sargent motioned for his men to take the knocked out men and
Jons into custody, as he answered Lina.  "We have heard rumors that
Jons sells products to unsuspecting mages and then sends a group of men
to steal them back.  We spotted you yesterday entering into the store
and leaving.  You looked like a perfect target.  Unlike the other
mages, you did take precautions against theft.  That slowed his men
down.  They had to wait until you woke up and they would try to
overcome you when you left your room."

 Lina smiled.  "However, I took to the skies and came right back
here to confront Jons.  That fouled him up completely."

 The Sargent nodded.  "That it did.  Thanks to you, we have
captured Jons and his men.  For a reward, you can take your pick of
what you can find in this store, before we confiscate it."

 Lina nodded and reclaimed her rubies.  She added more ingredients
to make her talisman potion.  As she looked through the shop, she came
across some books.  She put the books on the counter in front of her.
She pulled out her knowledge sphere and held it in both hands.

 "Sphere of crystal and metal I now call upon your power.
Knowledge that is scattered before me allow yourself to now be shared."

 The Sargent wondered what Lina was doing, when the bolts of
lightning shot forth.  He watched in wonder, as the energy blasts
struck the books without harming them.  After a few moments, the energy
died out and Lina held the globe in her right hand and stared into it.
She nodded in satisfaction and stowed it away.  She scoured the store
for anything else she might find useful.  She shook her head, as she
found a sack of money and added that to her funds.

 Lina said, "Not much here that I can use."

 "What was that globe?"  the Sargent asked.

 Lina shrugged.  "It's sort of a spellbook.  I can store knowledge
in it to pull out later.  I don't have to carry a bunch of books with
me to study.  It's not something I bought here, it is something I
made."

 The Sargent bit his lower lip.  "Interesting.  Just out of
curiosity, what did you buy from him yesterday."

 Lina sighed.  "A cursed dulling sheath.  Before you wonder if he
had gone nuts, let me show you something."

 Lina pulled out her sword and it soon glittered with power.
Spotting an anvil, Lina swung the sword at it.  The lavender blade cut
a diagonal path through the anvil.  As soon as Lina re-sheathed her
sword, the anvil fell apart.

 Lina explained, "He wasn't trying to steal just the sheath, but
my sword as well."

 "I can see why.  A dulling sheath?"

 "Only thing that can stand up to the sword.  You see those four
sheaths lying in a heap over there.  This sword bisected each and every
one, just by being drawn out."

 The Sargent gave a low whistle.  "That sword is impressive.  I
would suggest you leave now.  Once you are far enough away, the other
criminal elements won't bother you."

 Lina looked around and saw that she was alone with the Sargent.
"Do you know where Mipross Island is?"

 "Yes," the Sargent replied and gave detailed instructions on how
to get there.  "I'd say going there is easily putting more than enough
distance between you and here.  Good luck."

 "Thank you.  Be careful of the bandit gangs."

 Lina just smiled.

04

 Lina made her way to the nearest coastal city.  Along the way,
she was attacked by or attacked bandit gangs and wiped them out.  She
did make side trips to claim their treasure to pay for food, lodgings,
and equipment.  She also added more knowledge to her little spellbook
globe from some of the loot that the bandit gangs had.  After about a
week of walking, she spotted the city of Mane.

 "One coast city," Lina muttered.  "Now to get a ride to Mipross."

 After entering the city, Lina headed for the docks and hunted for
the Harbormaster.  She soon spotted a small wooden building that looked
like what she was after.  She went into the shack and smiled, as she
saw sketches of members of a bandit gang that she had recently wiped
out.

 Shaking her head, Lina mentally sighed.  'I don't want to delay
my departure.  I'll have to forgo the reward this time.'

 Walking up to the desk, she looked at the ship charts.  A thick
muscled man dressed in white pants and a shit with black and white
horizontal stripes came to the desk from the other side.

 "What would a little girl want in here?  This is a rough area."

 "I'd like to get a ride to Mipross Island.  I have something
important to do there."

 "Like what?"

 Lina rubbed her eyes for a second, wondering why she felt tears.
"I'd rather not talk about it."

 The sailor nodded.  "Ah.  I see. The 'Red Javelin' docks in the
city that is closest to Mipross after leaving here.   I think you can
book passage on that ship."

 As the sailor filled out the paperwork, he whispered.  "Must be a
death in the family.  Poor kid."

 Lina's sharp hearing picked up the sailor's whisper.

 'That should work as an excuse.  I have no idea why I'm feeling
sad, but it will help in maintaining that cover.'

 Lina received the papers from the Harbormaster and headed for
'Red Javelin' after getting instructions on how to find it.  As she
passed ship after ship, she heard sailors talking.

 "Did you hear?  The White Fur bandit gang has been wiped out."

 "By what?"

 "They say it is some sort of monster.  It wasn't any sheriff
squad, I can tell ya.  Burnt corpses everywhere."

 'Hmm.  Must have been that last gang I wiped out,' Lina thought
and spotted the ship she was hunting for.

 She walked up the gangplank and handed the sailor there her
papers.

 "Going to Mipross?" the sailor asked.

 Lina just nodded.

 "Well, I'll show you to your cabin," the sailor said.

 Lina followed the sailor to her cabin and entered the room.
Sitting down on the bed, Lina looked at the door.

 'I have the feeling that this is just the first step.'

--------------------------------------

 A few days later, the 'Red Javelin' pulled into port on Mipross.
As soon as Lina disembarked, she looked around in confusion.

 'I've been here before, but I just left home.'

 Lina shook her head and wandered the streets.  As she walked,
some kids did double-takes as Lina passed them.  Lina noticed this and
used her sharp hearing to pick up what they were saying.

 "She looks a lot like that statue near the ruins."

 "She doesn't look like she's over 700 years."

 Most of the comments were along those line.  Lina clenched her
fists and hid a blush.

 'A statue that looks like me?  Some strange ruins?  Half-elf?'
Lina closed her eyes and thought.  'That's right.  Mipross was once
inhabited by elves.  That statue is my first destination.'

 Lina walked around the tourist island, hunting for someone that
might be able to help her.  She spotted a hotel where a blonde haired
man with a mustache was showing people inside.  The man saw Lina
approaching him.

 "Ah.  Another visitor from the continent.  Welcome to Mipross.  I
am Largos," the man said.

 Lina suppressed an urge to strike out at him.  'He seems like a
nice guy, why do I want to attack him?'

 Lina took a deep breath and spoke. "There's a statue near some
ruins that I would like to look at.  There are people who say I look
like that statue."

 Largos took a closer look at Lina and smiled. "Yes.  You do like
the girl.  Very much like that girl in fact, you could be her younger
sister.  I can take you there."

 Lina suppressed a shudder.  'He's just being a courteous host.
But, I feel like he should be an enemy.'

 Lina nodded. "Uh.  Thank you."

 Largos frowned at Lina's hesitation.  "Are you all right?"

 Lina shook her head.  "It's nothing.  Something's been bugging me
for the past couple of weeks."

 "Well then, let's be off," Largos said, swirling his cape as he
headed in the direction of the ruins.

 Lina mutely followed.

 As the two made their way through the forest, Lina remained quiet
as she looked around.  Largos frowned, as he led Lina to the ruins.  He
shook his head and kept leading Lina.

 Lina held up a hand and said, "Hold up.  There's something I want
to check."

 Largos watched as Lina walked around a very low hill.  He
chuckled a bit, as Lina scraped part of the dirt away.

 'I don't want to take out the whole hill, just the surface,' Lina
thought, as she placed her hands on the side of the hill.  "Bemphis
Bring!"

 A sphere of red light appeared and dissolved the first foot of
the hill.  Lina looked into the hole and stared.

 "I was right.  There is something here."

 Largos carefully joined Lina and looked into the hole.  What he
saw was an old room with a giant hourglass sitting in the center of the
room.

 "What in the world?" Largos asked.

 Lina took a deep breath and stepped inside. Largos shrugged and
followed Lina inside.  He saw that Lina had scoured the room for books
and scrolls and laid them out.  Lina flipped through document after
document and shook her head in exasperation.

 "Nothing.   It mentions the elves being saved, but nothing that I
need to know about," Lina said with a sigh and pulled out her sphere.

 She quickly recited the chant to activate her sphere and let the
lightning play across the papers to copy the knowledge into the sphere.
Shaking her head, Lina put her sphere away and left the room.

 Outside, Lina put her hands on her legs and looked away from the
hill.  "Just one more mystery to figure out."

 Largos walked out of the room and next to Lina.  "How did you
know that was there?"

 "I don't know.  That's why I'm here.  I'm here to figure out why
I know things that I shouldn't."

 Largos bit his lower lip and muttered.  "Maybe you're the
reincarnation of that girl depicted and you have some of her
knowledge."

 "Makes sense," Lina admitted.  "I still like to see the statue
though."

 "I would too if I was in your position."

 Largos once again led Lina towards the ruins.  Lina looked down
at her hands, she noticed small flecks of light appearing and
disappearing around her arms and hands.

 'Why am I sparkling?'

 Lina shook her head and followed Largos to the statue.  After a
couple of hours, they arrived at a pyramid with a statue of two people
in front of it.  One was a young boy carrying what looked to be the
Sword of Light. The other was a girl who looked just like Lina.  Largos
looked back and forth between the statue and Lina.

 "You're younger than the girl depicted, but the resemblance is
uncanny," Largos said, and noticed the sparkles of light.  "What's
going on?"

 Lina looked at her arms and saw that the sparkling was getting
more intense by the second.  She held her arms up at eye level and
looked at them.

 "I have no idea."

 Lina dropped her hands and felt danger in the area.  The sparkles
intensified even more and streamers of energy leapt from Lina's body.
Lina leaped back as the streamers of energy struck an area behind the
statue and started spiraling around.

 "I guess some of my questions will be answered soon," Lina
muttered.

 Largos backed away from the spectacle and watched in shock.

 The spiraling energy moved faster as more streamers of energy
leapt from Lina's body.  Soon, the streamers stopped and Lina stopped
sparkling.  Lina reached for her sword and left it sheathed.

 "Inverse," said an inhuman voice.

 Lina and Largos watched in horror, as a large green demon with
purpule crystals embedded in his shoulders stepped out of the spiraling
light.  The creataure had a horse like mane running down his back and
blood red eyes.

 The demon stared at Lina.  "I don't now how you became so charged
with temporal energies, but as you can see it was enough to bridge a
path to this time.  Now Inverse, you shall die and I shall reclaim
Mipross."

 Lina stared in shock and horror, as a name came to her.  "J-
Joyrock!"

 Largos looked up at the statue and then at Lina.  "She isn't the
reincarnation.  She is her."

 Largos backed up and muttered. "I am no where near powerful
enough to get involved in this fight."

 Lina pulled her sword and panted heavily, as flashes of memory
came to her.

 Joyrock laughed at Lina.  "Do you really think a sword can hurt
me?  I stood up to the Dragon Slave and the Sword of Light.  Neither
could kill me.  You had to go back into time and combine the two to
kill me, but that me was weaker.  I have the power of all the elves
that I killed.  You can not stop me!"

05


 With her sword drawn, Lina stared in horror and shock.  "J-
Joyrock!  How?"

 Joyrock chuckled mavolently.  "You tell me.  You were so charged
with temporal energies that I was able to bleed it off of you.  How did
you get that charged with temporal magic?"

 Lina's eyes widened.  "T-temporal?  Time-travel?  Is that what
happened to me?"

 More memories flashed in Lina's mind, as she raised her sword.
The memories stopped and tears fell down Lina's face.

  Lina whispered, "He did this to me.  That..."

 Joyrock cocked his head to one side.  "What was that?  I didn't
quite hear you."

 Lina straightened up and glared at Joyrock.  "I guess I should
thank you.  I remember now.  I know what I have to do."

 Joyrock laughed, as he stepped closer to Lina.  Lina stood her
ground and grasped her sword with both hands.

 'He won't let me get off the Dragon Slave, so I'm going to have
to rely on this,' Lina thought, as she charged at Joyrock.

 "Pathetic," Joyrock said, as he held up his hand to catch the
sword.  "I already told you that I can stop the Sword of Light."

 Lina responded by swinging her sword down at Joyrock.  Joyrock
attempted to grab the sword, but the lavender blade slashed through his
hand and then cut his arm off at the elbow.  Joyrock gave a scream of
pain and grasped the remnants of his arm.

 "What do you have there, Inverse?!"

 Lina brought the sword around for another swing.  Joyrock backed
up and shook his head.

 "I don't know what that sword is, but it won't stop me forever."

 Lina dropped the sword and snapped the bracelet she recieved from
the guild on.  'I can't let him get away.'

 "Lord of the dreams that terrify.  Sword of cold and darkness
free yourself from the heavens' bonds.  Become one with my body. One
with my power.  And, let us walk the path of destruction together.
Ragna Blade!"

 A sword made of black energy appeared in Lina's hands.  Joyrock
had opened a portal with his remaing hand.  He looked back at Lina with
a smirk that turned into horror.

 "No!  How did you get so powerful, Inverse?"

 "Black sword slice through all!"  Lina cried, as she swung the
blade in a wide arc.

 The power of Ragna Blade easily sliced through the dimensional
barrier and cut Joyrock in half, even as he tried to retreat to the
astral plane.  Lina dropped to her knees and coughed heavily.

 "So weak.  I'll have to get my body used to that spell again,"
Lina gasped out.

 Largos walked up to Lina and looked down at her.  "You.  You're
her aren't you?"

 Lina nodded.  "You heard Joyrock.  Time-travel.  I would ask a
favor from you."

 Largos asked, "What do you want?"

 "Do not mention this at all.  Meeting me.  This fight.  Anything
relating to this.  I have things I need to do, and I don't need this
little event to get out."

 Largos nodded.  "I understand.  Just to satisfy my curiosity,
what is that sword?"

 Lina chuckled, as she picked up her blade.  "I have no idea.  It
has already proven to be stronger than the Sword of Light.  Something
like this should have some legend attached to it, but I haven't heard
it yet."

 Lina felt the hair on her neck stand up.  She held the sword in
front of her, as she looked at the pyramid.  A translucent human
appeared above the statue.

 "L-Lina?  How?"  the apparition asked.  "I sensed Joyrock, but..
You?  You're so young."

 "I could ask the same thing, but I already know the answer," Lina
replied.  "All right, Rowdy.  Pay up this time with some useful
information.  Nothing like the Spring of Growth."

 Rowdy hesitated.  "Er.  You know about that?"

 Lina held her sword up.  "What is this sword?  You are a sage;
you might know what this sword is."

 Rowdy stared at the lavender blade and his eyes widened.  "The
Blast Blade?  How did you get ahold of that?"

 Lina whispered, "The Blast Blade?  Of all the swords that I could
have found, I found it."

 Lina closed her eyes and looked up at Rowdy.  "Thank you, Rowdy.
I have things I need to do, and I don't have much time to do them."

 Rowdy looked at Lina, as she sheathed her sword. "Like what?"

 Lina stared at the ground.  "If I told you, you would think I had
gone crazy."

 Lina turned around and walked away from the pyramid with a
determined look on her face.  Largos and Rowdy watched her go.  The
ghost of Rowdy looked down at Largos.

 "Funny.  Before Lina changed time, she fought you.  Now, you
helped her out.  And yes, that statue is of me in my youth, right
beside Lina Inverse."

 "Lina Inverse?  That's the first I've heard of that name."

 Rowdy frowned. "I see."

 Largos looked up as Rowdy turned into a glowing blue butterfly
and flew away.  Largos stared at the statue in wonder.  He closed his
eyes and laughed a bit.

 "I got to see both heroes of Mipross and the legendary Blast
Blade.  Something to tell my children, when Lina gets done what she
needs to do. "

 Largos left the statue behind and headed back to his hotel.
-----------
 As soon as Lina left the pyramid, she immediatley headed  for the
docks.

 'The unique nature of Mipross protected me this time when I cast
the Ragna Blade.  At least I don't have to rely on it to deal with
Mazoku.  The Blast Blade?  Well, it will serve.'

 Lina quickly found a ship that was heading for the mainland and
paid for passage.  Entering her room, she sat down and opened her mind
once more to the sphere.

 'That should take care of that.  I need amplifiers, spells, and a
plan.'

 She lay back on the bed and stared up at the ceiling.  'A plan.
I'll leave Galvayra alone for now.  Same goes for Gorun Nova.  The
other three on the other hand.  Amplfiers?  The Black Crystals and the
Crystal Amplifier.  They might give me enough power.  The Clair Bible
manuscript is where I get my spells.  And afterwards, I go kill
Darkstar and Volphied.'

 Lina looked into the sphere and pulled out certain details from
inside it.   She nodded in satisfaction and put the sphere away.

 'We all got thrown back, but because my own personal timeline is
out of synch with the rest of the world....'

  Lina felt tears streaming down her face.  "Gourry.  He doesn't
know me.  I'm all alone."

 Lina clenched her fists and shook her head furiously.  "Not this
time.  I will win this time around."

 After a day, the ship docked at the nearest port city on the
mainland.  Lina disembarked and headed in the direction of a certain
temple.

 'They don't know I'm coming.  They haven't prepared enough for
that spell.  These Ruby-eye cultists won't know what hit them.'

 Lina smiled wickedly and cracked her knuckles.  As soon as she
left the city, she started running.

 'Have to get my strength back up,' Lina thought, as she raced
forwards.

 During the next week, Lina blew away bandits that tried to stop
her and claimed some of their treasure.  As she approached the temple,
she started getting cultists trying to stop her.  The cultists were
expecting to deal with a reckless wizardress, they did not expect to
deal with a girl who had the potential to kill the gods.  As the fights
progressed, Lina found that the Blast Blade could absorb magical energy
to become even sharper and more powerful.

 As Lina stood in front of the temple, she smiled and held her
sword in front of her.

 'This sword is fun to use.  I can understand why Gourry won't
give up the Sword of Light now.  I don't want to give up this sword.'

 Lina smirked, as she sliced some cultists apart with her sword
along with the weapons that tried to block the Blast Blade.  Instead of
going through doors, Lina used the sword to cut holes in the walls and
walk through them.

 'Like I'm really going to go through an obviously trapped door.
And, I don't have to use magic to blow holes in the walls.  If it
wasn't for the Blast Blade, this would be a lot more difficult.'

 Using the memories she had recovered from the spellbook sphere,
she quickly made her way to the central room.  Lina smiled, as she saw
the Crystal Amplifier and the spellbook.  She did note that the wards
and traps around the two weren't set.

 'I better do this quick,'  Lina thought, as she dashed towards
the two objects.  She snapped them up and placed them in her cloak for
later use.

 After doing that, she dashed to the far wall and cut another hole
with the Blast Blade.

 As Lina made her way through the temple, she thought, 'Whee.
This has got to be driving those cultists nuts.  I'm just going through
the walls of their temple, far faster than Bemphis Bring would have let
me.'

 Lina cut her way completly through the temple and dashed into the
forest.  She sheathed her sword and looked back at the temple.
Cracking her knuckles, Lina grinned.

 "So, they want Ruby Eye's power?  I'll give it to them."

 Lina started glowing red, as she started her chant.

 "Darkness beyond twilight.  Crimson beyond blood that flows.
Buried in the stream of time is where your power grows.  I pledge
myself to conquer all the foes who stand before the mighty gift
bestowed in my unworthy hand.  Let the fools who stand before me be
destroyed by the power you and I posses.  DRAGON SLAVE!"

 The stream of red energy shot forth and entered the hole that
Lina had made.  Lina watched in satisfaction, as the red energy
exploded inside the temple.  Bolts of red light shot forth from every
opening.

 Lina chuckled.  "Oops.  I forgot about the magic reflection
spells they put on the walls of their temple.  The Dragon Slave will
bounce around for about an hour before finally dying out.  Oh well."

 Lina raced away from the temple, laughing to herself.

 'Next target: The Black Crystals.'




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