=======
        Part IV
      =======

"What do you mean by You can't handle shadow?" Asked the 'shadow' girl.
"Its obvious." Said Zelgadis who returned recently.
"...." Gourry looked confused. "What furballs?"
"Jellyfish-brain, shut up!" Screamed the angered sorceress. "Its not furballs, but obvious."
"Lina-chan, don't be so mean with Gourry-san, I know that you can understand this. The proble..."
"Yes, yes I understand it ...." *sigh*
"As Zel-kun tried to say, that Ancient dragon has mastered the art of shadows." Xellos stepped towards Lina.
"So? *She grabbed him* What do YOU seek here?" Strangled the smiling mazoku.
"Im here to see the almighty Ancient dragon Kage."
"Shadow dragon? *laughs at her own joke* What?"
"And why did you set a mini Lighting spell at Gourry-san's nose?" Asked Naga's 'shadow'.
"My powers are limited here, so I'm only capable of summoning the minor spells. And furthermore I..."
"Khmm.... You said that mazoku don't use spells because that would be the end of their existence. Non-believing in themselves." Zelgadis suddenly got more aware. "Or... You have something else in mind."
"....Right, but I'm not an average mazoku."
"Well, you used the Blast Bomb once to defend me ."
"That won't kill a mazoku who relies on the power of Shabranigdo?" Angela started to get curious.
"Like I said. I'm not an average mazoku."
"Why did you lit my nose?" Gourry asked.
"As I understood, the mazoku feed on the fear and such dark feelings." Angela commented.
"But Gourry-kun 'just' wondered. Not frightened himself." *sad sigh*
"And thats bad?" Asked Gourry.
"For Xellos, yes." Zelgadis explained with a calm face.
"But why didn't you teased us for example?" Angela questioned the priest.
"Oh... I think that Lina-chan would throw spells at me, the 'shadows' are too 'good' for me ....that won't do well to me staying too close to them, Zel-kun is too... " Xellos abrubted and sighed.
"Yes?" Leaned closer the chimera.
"... Emotionless, Gourry-kun is simple and you, Angie-chan would be one fine target, but won't frighten from a simple spell."
"And Shadow-sama?"
"Shadow-kun?... He's probably aware every moment... so no."
"Spill it... Why do you seek Kage?" Lina stepped closer.
"Hes the only dragon I couldn't beat." Replied the mazoku.
"So, Kage is stronger than you." Zelgadis stated with some doubt.
"No, just more a shadow than else." Xellos walked a bit.
"What do you mean by that?" Asked Shadow. "Last time I saw Kage-sama He was normal."
"Oh, but that was what he just showed to you Shadow-kun."
"And Xellos-san." Started 'shadow' Lina. "How do you know that?"
"Simple.... Not..  Again.." He froze in motion.
"Whats with him, an what did he mean by not again?" Lina stepped closer and poked him twice. "Like that spell Shadow did...Then .." Looks around.
"Who are you're friends Shadow?" Spoke a toneless voice.
"Kage-sama. *kneelt down the elf* They are: Lina Inverse with the redorange hair, Gourry Gabriev the warrior who posseses the Saber of Light, Zelgadis Greywords the chimera, Angela Altena a descendant from my formal master and two 'shadows' casted by the Shadow Reflector." Finishes the introduction Shadow.
Somewhere near a shadow started to move and strangle itself away from the others. After it broke free it assumed a non-characteristic shape that levitated before them. The shape swirling, changing size, shape, height and brightness slowly circled everybody as it would examine them closely one after another.
Lina thought hardly trying to remember the fact.
<> Echoed her voice.
"Waaa!!" Frightened she aloud, stepping back, tripping in the soft soil and with waving arms fell to her back.
"Lina-san. *Angela stepps closer* Are you allright? Why did you scream and fell?"
"Oh." She didn't answer.
"Lina-chan. Whats the matter?" Steps closer the 'shadow' also.
"Co..uld...someone...help..me?" Xellos barely managed to speek.
"Hold your mouth Xellos." Lina stood up and turned over to scold him more." Anyway you deserve..." As she noticed that the priest chanted some spell that drained much of his essence, half-revealing the shady spiritual body of him. "H..He escapes."
Then Xellos let out a painfull scream and collapsed assuming his human form again.
"What did you do?" Lina stepped closer to examine him.
"No...thin....AARGH!" As Kage raised again the effect of the spiritual barrier.
"What does 'HE' seek here?" turns the cloud towards Shadow.
"Kage-sama. *still kneeling* 'THAT' mazoku probably tryes to reawaken a shard of the Dark God." Shadow exclaimed.
"It must be very desperate for him  where his powers are handicapped while mines raised." The cloud started to take shape.
"That...is...a...sec...ret." Wringled the mazoku to shake of the barrier.
"Noone seen an incarnation of Shabranigdo since the last wars and when Lina Inverse defeated the piece sealed in Rezo."
"Kage-sama, what are you suspecting? Do you know someone who could be a possible threat?" Shadow raised.
"I know somebody who.... What?" As Xellos simple shaked the barrier from him and stood up.
"Thats all what I needed to know." Raising one hand high and the other forwards.
   Chaos beyond Death, Order upon Life
"Whats he's doing?" Lina backed off and hit her back to Shadows shoulders.
"Thats bad." Stated Shadow and started to chant a barrier spell.
   Become true and right, you unseen might
"What does this spell do?" Zelgadis backed by Lina and Angela also erected defensive spells ready for anything bad.
"This spell forces some of us to use their most dangerous spells." The half-cloud and half-shape Kage stated while continuing to get his body to fully manifest in the vortex of energies summoned by Xellos.
   Heed my vow for I serve you thy
"Anybody or everybody?" Frightened 'shadow' Lina.
"This won't affect me, because I'm the source." Kage almost completed to assume a humanoid shape within the cloud.
"Nooo!!" echoed a scream from Linas 'shadow'. "I...I can't stop." As she started to radiate chaotical energies across the clearance along with Lina.
Xellos smiling held up a shady orb and stepped into the middle of the clearance readiing himself to finish the chant.
   Chaotic Trueborn!!!
"Gourry!!" Lina tryed to step closer to him, but she fell over. "You must knock me and my 'shadow' out... before we summon the Giga Slave right here.... "
"But Lina..." Protested Gourry not quite understanding the whole situation.
*Thud* As the 'shadow' fell unconcious. Shadow moved to the sorceress and knocked her out too with the hilt of his sword.
"Somethings not right...Something is definiatelly wrong." Angela concluded. "The chaotic essence summoned by Lina-san and her 'shadow' won't eradicate itself.... we... we... must."
"We must kill them unless we want to throw the world into nothing." Zelgadis unsheated his sword and stepped closer to the unconcious sorceresses.
"Kill Lina?!?" Gourry grabbed Zelgadis' sword. "Are you insane? Why should we kill Lina?" Protested the warrior.
"If we don't kill these two girls they summon the Giga Slave in twin version... Do you understand what would that mean?
"....*thinks* ... No." Thinks again harder, then he stepped closer to Lina and unsheats his saber also." Sorry....Lina....We have to do this..... I hope you understand this....This is the best for this world..... Sorry." Raises sword in position, but then he let it fall and turns to the chimera. "Zelgadis... You much smarter then me... Isn't there ANYTHING that we can do prevent this other than killing her?" Looks around and spots Shadow holding and orb of goldenly glowing light. "Huh?....Whats that."
"This will help her." Shadow stepped closer and placed the orb on the sorceresses chest and with a golden flash the orb sank into the body briefly encasing it with a golden aura. "This will contain the chaos untill we find a method to erase it." Starts to chant again in a ununderstable language and slowly enlarging a sphere like the previous one while slowly walking towards the 'shadow'. "Now, this will fini..." As a black cone slinged the orb away shattering it on the shadows.
"Sorry, Shadow-kun, but I can't let that happen." Xellos summoned a few more small cones and started to sting and scratch the tired elf. "You see, I wasn't after....*raises a hand* Hold it there Zel-kun, Gourry-kun. One more move and I kill one of the girls. So let me finish this. I wasn't after Lina-chan or her 'shadow'. I wanted to force you to be completelly exhausted, to let your guard down to this." He tossed the gloomy orb summoned by the Chaotic Trueborn towards the elven 'shadow'. As the orb impacted on Shadow body a slight glowing light started to glow around all of the amuletts that he possessed.
Zelgadis turns to the human shaped cloud. "Can't you do anything?"
"To be exactly sure I could do something, although that would remove the barrier casted upon the sorceress, Lina Inverse and paralyze anybody other here and that won't solve this situation." Exclaimed the cloudy character.
Shadow stood up like not being able to stand and started to chant something. Something that seemingly caused the shadow to become insane and start to run amok.
"What are you doing Shadow-sama?" Angela stepped closer to him and raised the head of the elf to reveal a pair of black glowing eyes. "EEEK!!" She fell on her back.
Zelgadis charging with an enchanted sword slashed at the unwillingly chanting man. Shadow quickly leaned sidewards, but the demonic speed granted to Zelgadis was enough to cleave a part off the elves side and detach an arm. Shadow not showing anykind of pain or feeling still chanted although the shadow arounds him started to create a small tornadow and encased the bleeding character within. The shadows inside the tornado started to flow in the direction of the elf and to heal the wounds by transfreeing themselves at the injured bodyparts. Although the tornado consisted many shadows of the environment, it barely was enough to regrow the detached arm and to close the wound on the side.
"Damn!! This won't do anything..."Zelgadis ralized that the shadows aided the elf here, so instead switched to defence.
"Why do yo attacked Shadow, Zelgadis?" Asked Gourry.
"Hes under the infulence of Xellos' spell and tries to summon an unseen but undoubtfully evil spell... I tried to stop him, but you saw the previous attack of mine." The chimera exclaimed to the warrior.
Shadow's chant seemingly neared the end as the voice of the mage become louder and filled with power. As soon as he chanted the commandwords for the spell, he fell to the ground.
"I have a bad feeling about this." Angela promptly tried to get as small as se could.
"Whats wrong Angela?" Gourry asked from her.
"The astral essence.... is.. Corrupted..Enlarging...Spreading...It's coming this way..." She dropped unconcious.
"What does she mean by that?" Turned Zelgadis to Kage.
Lina awaking from her knock out slowly started to stand up. "Zelgadis... Why is it so... Why does this place feel so wicked?"
"Lina..."Gourry ran towards her, but tripped in something. "What the?" As he noticed the thing that held his leg immobilized.
"The areas shadow started to form into long tentacles that reached out of their sole loneliness and crawled their way towards the group in the middle of the clearance.
"The shadows.... They are coming this way." Lina tryed to back a few stappes but appendiges twisted around her legs also.
"Whats happening to us?" Seeing as everyone except Xellos and Kage was wrapped in those cold, feelingless appendiges.
As the tentacles encased more and more the group she tried to shake off the vines holding her with amizing succes. In her surprising succes she lunged forward rolling under the vines spreading across the clearance and run towards Gourry who was almost completelly layered by uncountless vines.
Tearing and shaking the vines with no succes she ran over to Zelgaids and Angela. Then as she wanted to run back to Gourry she fell in the mass of vines than quickly encased her up to her waist.
Xellos appeared before her levitating a little above the vines. Smiling widely with opened eyes.
"Lina-chan.... Don't do anything reckless you would regret later." Said to the wringling sorceress.
"Xellos what did you do?"
"Me? Nothing particular."
"Then whose work is this?" As the vines moved upwards her body.
"Shadows."
"Why would Shadow do such a thing?"
"No. Not Shadow ... The shadows of the valley did this."
"The Valley of the Shadows?" The tentacles covered almost her head.
"Could say so."
"Why did you anger the Valley?" The vines started to finish the work by overcoming the shaking body of Lina.
"Oh....That is a sec.." The rest Lina couldnt hear because the vines covered her also completelly.

       =======
        Part V
      =======

Lina drifted in black, void 'dream-stuff'.
"Not again.... Shabby-chan!! I know you are here! Show yourself." She managed to get in a standing position.
"Im here Lina-chan." A small cloud appeared before her. "Nee-chan what happened?"
"Nee-chan? What does than mean? Were no relatives."
"Of course we are."
".... *sigh* ... And how?"
".... Wake up..." The girl started to vanish.
"...Well, I figure you're rather Xellos' sister or so... Time to get up."

Lina had a terrible headache. She opened her eyes to see that someone appearently found her and brought to it's home. Above all changed her clothes. Lina looked left and right searching for her stuff and when didn't saw anything yelled with anger her most used spell.
   DRAGON SLAAAVE!!!
When nothing happened she tried casting a simple lighting spell, but that didn't work either. Lina tried another lighting spell, but aborted when she heard footsteps approaching from behind the door. Lina quickly layed back in the bed fainting  sleep.
A man entered the room, looked around then stepped over to the bed.
"Must be a nightmare *walk outwards*... No wonde..." *Thud* *Wham* *Thud* As Lina throwed anything moveable at him.
"You Jerk.*lifts a chair* You pig... How *throws a vase* dare you change my clothes. If I weren't so weak as now you would be dead, you pervert old geezer." Readied to lift the heavy armchair.
"Miss, you misunderstood.... "Tried to begin the man.
"Misundestood? And what? That you can freely undress young girls and play with them as you like?" Held up the heavy armchair, baraly managing to held it with her own weight.
"My wife dressed you out not me...."
"And You think that I would believe that?"
"Your nervous... Girl at that time are always nervous."
Lina lost her balance and fell over with the armchair. "Hey WHA..?! What did you say? ... And. *evil sparks glittering in her eyes* HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT?"
"I told him." A calm elder womans voice could be heard from Linas back. "Why did you ransacked my room... And what did you do to my husband?"
"Sorry.... I thought that .... he undressed me......" Started Lina to exclaim the previous fights cause.

"Dear, I understand you, but one thing is weird with you my child."
"... Yeah, what?" Lina get curious.
"You were almost two weeks unconcious and before my husband found you who know how much."
"More than two week?"
"The strange part is when we found you... How can we say, your hair was red-orange and now... Completelly white."
Lina grabbed a lock of her hair to see that the woman is right.
"No... That can't be." She dropped to the ground staring at the ceiling.
"I understand you dear, to lose you're precious haircolor from one day to another."
"By the way who are you litte girl?" The man asked.
"Im Lina..." Then she stopped. <... If I tell them my real identity perhaps they call for the guards or worse... After what I have done to that man.... Damn.>
"Lina... Where did I heard that name before?" Wondered the woman.
"Huh.. I'm Lina... Lina Gabriev." She hoped that they won't detect the the fact that she is quite nervous.
"Oh, my. Now I remember. Gourry told us from you." The man walked out of the room.
"You..you know Gourry Gabriev?" Lina stood up.
"Why of course we know." Stated the woman.
The man brought a whole chair in from an other room. "Were his parents."
Lina face faulted.
"Are you allright my dear?" Stepped closer Gourry's mom.
"Y...Y..Yes." Lina slowly got into sitting position. "I just never believed that I would met Gourry's elders."
"Your welcome."
"Uh.. Where are we?"
"Youre in Testaburne. Didnt you know?"
"Testaburn... Now I remember."
"By the way, from wich Gabriev family are you?"
"Im from?.... ... the Zefilian family." She lied quickly.
"You know dear, that auntie Gabriev was always a little weird. Learned magic, fought side-by-side with men and alike."
"I remember *replied the man* May her rest in piece."
Lina blinked twice. "Yes, yes poor Grandma."
"Well, Lina my dear, in twenty minutes breakfast is ready.
Linas eyes went wide. "Breakfast?" She smiled. "Im starving from hunger."
*a few hour later*
"That was delicious."
"You had a great hunger, are you sure you don't need more my dear?"
"No thanks... I'm stuffed." Stood she up and walked towards he rented room . "I think I'm going to sleep a bit."
As she walked into her room the man commented. " Keh... Weird Zefilians." And sipped from his tea.

Inside the room Lina sit on a chair and while dressed up thought threw what happened to them.

<>

"Lina Inverse." Echoed a toneless voice. "I know that you are here."
The man stepped out the house to see a gigantic grey dragon circling above the house.
"There is no such person here."
"Bring me Lina Inverse. She is here."
"Like I said 'lizard' She IS NOT HERE."
"I'm no 'lizard'. I'm Kage the Ancient dragon, Guardian of the Shadows."
Lina started to leave the house.
"Dear, where are you going?" Asked Gourry's mom.
"Out."
"Are you Lina Inverse?"
"Yeah and if you call me names than I...I... Get really angry."
"Why would I dear?"
"Nevermind." Stepped she outside. "Yo" Greeted the dragon. "Wazzup?"
"Lina Inverse. I'm here to challenge you to a fight."
"You won." Stated she simply.
"We start the duel right now." The dragon assumed a more humanly form. Then manifested his claws on the left hand and summoned the wings.  "Choose you style."
"Im a sorceress..."
"Then you choose."
"But..." Said quickly Lina. "I had lost my powers a few days ago." Points at her hair. "See?"
"Then choose a weapon."
"Huh You won't stop eh?"
"I must challenge your prowess."
"Allright. Gabriev-san, could I have a sword or something alike?"
"Here *throwed a long sword over to she* I found this besides you."
"Thanks. *examines the weapon* Thanks Gourry, I knew you wouldnt break you're promise." As she realized what was the weapon held in her arms.
".... What?" Blinked the Gourry's father.
"Now, Kage. *Draws out sword* Lets start."
"I shall fight with a sword samewise." As he manifested a shady weapon in his right hand, then he vanished.
"HEY, this isn't fair." Replied Lina
Kage appeared behind Lina's back and swung the blade towards her. Lina tried to parry the strike, but the weapons blade went threw her sword like it was never there along with her body.
"Your not the 'shadow'." Stated the dragon an unsummoned the wings, claws and the sword.
Lina facefaulted. "What do you mean by that?"
"I sought your 'shadow', the weapon didn't harm you because you're not a 'shadow'."
"But, I could have killed you."
"A mere mortal sword couldn..."
Lina aborted him. "Light, come forth!!" Spoke she the command and a blade of pure energy appeared in the hilt.
"My long lost Sword of Light." Recognized Gourrys father the weapon.
"False, this is the Saber of Light." Corrected Lina. "Besides your sword is in the Otherworld."
"But how, then what is that in your hands?"
"I brought this from an elf whose ancestor worked on the modification of the Sword of Light."
Then she turned over the humanshaped dragon who erected his wing and readied to fly away. "Wait Kage."
"As you please Lina Inverse."
"Quit the Inverse just L..I..N..A."
"Lina Inverse, why did you asked me to stay here?"
"Why are you searching for my 'shadow'?"
"Because the darkness that possesed you and the other are not to be trifled with. That could prove much danger to the world."
"I know, so you somehow raised the barriers effect on me just now? I feel suddenly calm and good."
"I banished the evil thoughts for a short time."
"When you stroke me with that sword right?"
"Yes, but now I must seek my apprentice."
"He was possesed too?"
"Not exactly, but he won't stand the emotions for much too long."
"How much time?"
"Weeks perhaps days."
"And after that?"
"'Shadows' can't be brought back from the darkness. That would erase their soul aswell as the the darkness,."
"Soo this means we have to fing him soon."
"We?... I must find him only."
"Hey I'm in this mess also. So count me in too."
"As you wish. but how can you defend yourself?"
"You could *Lina get in his cutest pose and pulled off the sparkling eyes number* Defend me... Kage-sama. Besides I'm only a fragile, young, little girl."
"Well... I could" *sweatdrop*
"So ." Lina changed to her normal appearence. "Where do we start looking?"
"Sairaag is our destination."
"Sairaag, eh?" Nodded she and hopped she on the back of Kage.... and fell through the humanshaped dragon. "Ow..." She rubbed her red face. "Could you assume a more 'PHYSICAL' body?"
"I could, but that would cost me much power."
"Why?"
"I will exclaim it later on."
"... *sigh*... Then walk with me.. Its nerving that you fly and I walk along."
"No mortal I had ever met could get his life in such short time in trouble and make it out to start over again."
"What did you say?"
"Youre crazy and careless." Kage shifted down to the ground using the wings as a cloak.
"I know, but life is fun... This is me afterall." Smiled she.
<> Echoed a though in her head.

     ===============
     TO BE CONTINUED.
      ===============