Disclaimer: "Slayers" isn't mine, but belongs to Kanzaka Hajime, Araizumi Rui and those who represent them. I'm just borrowing the characters for a little while and will return them intact. Except for Gourry. He might be squished just a little.

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Introduction

"Slayers" is one of those series where there exists several parallel universes, such as those you'll find in many DC and Marvel comic series. "Slayers" is available in three separate formats: anime, manga and novels. A fourth parallel universe is the one established by the games, but for this introduction, I'll just focus on the main three.

The novels are the original series and ran from 1989-2000, with the Slayers Special novels still being released. The anime aired from 1995-1997, with movies being released until 2001. The manga started with one volume of short stories that was released in 1995. Then, the 8-volume "Super-Explosive Demon Story" that covered the original series and NEXT was published starting in 1995 and ending in 2001. The 1-volume "Slayers Premium" was published in July 2002. Around the same time, a new full-length Slayers manga series, "Slayers: Knight of Aqualord," began its run. "Aqualord" finished in January 2005, with the final volume released in April.

In all three mediums, the story runs pretty parallel for the events that cover "Slayers" and "Slayers NEXT." However, it is after the defeat of Hellmaster Fibrizo that the series divides into three parallel universes. The anime series, "Slayers TRY," involves the journey to the lands beyond the Mazoku barrier and the search for the five weapons of Darkstar in an effort to prevent Darkstar from being reborn into the Slayers' dimension and largely centers around the new characters of Filia, Valgaav and events that happened between the golden and ancient dragons during the War of the Mazoku's Fall (or Kouma Sensou.) In this series, Gourry has the Sword of Light (returned to him by Xelloss) and Lina still has her Demon's Blood tailsmen and the ability to use the Giga Slave. Amelia, Zelgadiss and Xelloss are also in this series.

Novels 9-15 make up the second parallel universe. Lina and Gourry set off on a journey to find Gourry a new sword to replace the Sword of Light. They are no longer traveling with Amelia and Zelgadiss - in fact, Gourry even forgets about them! Their traveling partners here are a treasure hunting couple named Luke and Millina. Gourry gets ahold of a magic sword and he and Lina are drawn into a battle against Dynast Grausherra. During this battle Gourry's blade shatters, revealing another blade inside it - the legendary super-sharp Blast Sword. Lina damages Dynast to the point where he retreats to the Astral plane to heal. Lina and Gourry then fight the third resurrected piece of Shabranigdu, which is inside of their friend, Luke. At the end of the novel series, Gourry suggests that he and Lina go visit her family in Zefielia. Lina thinks Gourry is proposing to her, but he insists it's just because grapes are in season and Zefielia's known for them. Lina loses her Demon's Blood tailsmen in the fight against the third resurrected piece of Shabranigdu. Milgazia, the golden dragon who aided Lina in reaching the true Claire Bible in NEXT, appears in several books - along with his apprentice, an elf named Memphis. Xelloss comes back for a final appearance in the last novel - along with Deep Sea Dolphin and Greater Beast Xelas Metallium.

The final parallel universe is the manga series, "Knight of Aqualord." After the fight against Hellmaster Fibrizo, Lina and Gourry get separated during a battle at sea and Lina wakes up in a strange land that is beyond the Mazoku barrier. Unable to use her black magic, she's aided by a boy named Lyos, who claims he is the Knight of Aqualord. Lina asks Lyos to take her to the closest big city. On the way they, Lina is reunited with Gourry. They reach the shrine to Aqualord and are slowed down by an illusionist named Shizuri. But who comes to their aid? Amelia! Amelia is on a diplomatic mission from Saillune, but winds up being stranded when her ships are destroyed thanks to her association with Lina. Shizuri joins the group as well, as they quest for Airlord's power. Lina obtains the Airlord's power, and it's used to help defeat Rikusfalto, the general for Deep Sea Dolphin, and the woman Hureika to try and stop a second Kouma Sensou. After everything's said and done, Shizuri and Lyos decide to remain Lina, Gourry and Amelia as they explore the new land. In this series, Zelgadiss nor Xelloss make an appearance. Gourry doesn't appear to have the Blast Sword, but he does get some sort of magic sword at one point in the series. Lina does not have the Demon's Blood tailsmen, and there's no explanation as to what happened to them.

The consistent thing in the novels and Aqualord arc of the manga is that the Mazoku are trying to start a second Kouma Sensou. In the novels, Xelloss reveals that there is the brewing of a civil war - in fact, some of the Mazoku want Lina on their side to fight it with them. It wouldn't stop because Lina got in their way. So, I wanted to know, could it be possible to redo Slayers TRY and keep it in the original spirit of the novels and anime, along with integrating the new characters of Shizuri and Lyos?

This fanfiction is a retelling of the Slayers TRY storyline utilizing the characters and situations established in "Knight of Aqualord." I hope this introduction will be helpful to you as you dive into this story. There is a prequel, "It's Called Love at First, and Doesn't Hurt," which is a Lina/Gourry one-shot that explains the background behind their relationship status in this story.

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"A whipped dog shouldn't bark so loud"
Saitou Hajime - Rurouni Kenshin

Prologue: At Night, When Evil Spirits Appear

He worked feverishly in the dark, allowing himself only one small ball of mage light to allow him to see the scrawl on the parchments. He had to hurry. He was running out of time.

He was going to die.

Tarim the Violet had escaped death once. It'd been almost three years ago that he had barely eluded the clutches of Halcyform the White - the elder in the Sorcerer's Guild who had made a contract with a dangerous Mazoku. The pawns in that case had been himself and Daymia the Blue. Both desired power, but weren't prepared for what would happen once they received it.

Tarim thought he had escaped a stronger man, one more crafty and wise to the workings of the world. He would become head of the Sorcerer's Guild and establish it as the headquarters for the lands. The one in Sairaag was gone, destroyed in a strange incident that some say was the resurrection of the famous priest, Rezo. Tarim didn't much care what happened or didn't happen in Sairaag. All he knew what that thisleft Atlas City in prime position to become the largest, most glorious guild in the land within the Mazoku barrier.

But there had been a side effect to his near-death experience, being trapped in stone. That crazy sorceress, Lina Inverse, had been unable to remove the stone that wrapped around his skin and prevented him from moving. He snarled. How he hated the little flat-chested bitch. He would gladly pay anything to get a chance to wring her scrawny neck. It was her fault he was in this mess, and he was going to be the one to pay the price.

To free himself from the stone, he had to sell his soul to the devil.

Daymia the Blue had refused the same offer given Tarimand had become an invalid, taken in by his family that dwelled in Saillune. The last Tarim had heard, Daymia was bedbound and driving his caretakers up the wall. That was nothing new.

As for himself, Tarim pored over volume after endless volume of books, set on the task assigned to him by his new master.

With a sigh, he turned a page in a dusty history book. He had no idea that the Sorcerer's Guild had so many. His master brought him others. He was so tired of reading. He hated to read. What he wouldn't give for a fine glass of merlot and an evening by the fire, feet propped up and a chess game to linger over.

Then he saw it. The knowledge he sought.

He never thought he would find it, what he had been instructed to look for. And the best part about it was, the item was right here in the Sorcerer's Guild! Tarim's eyes darted around the room. He was alone, he could feel it. His master would never know what happened. He would lie. That was what he would do. He would say he hadn't found the information yet, then use the precious item to win back his freedom. Then he was going after Lina Inverse.

His "master" would pay. So would she.

He raced through the empty guild, heart racing as he searched for a suitable tool for digging. He could use a Damu Brass, but that would draw too much attention to himself. Tarim had to do this as quietly as possible, or else he would definitely fail. He couldn't afford to do so.

Tarim discovered a crowbar in one of the storage sheds and hurried back to the basement. He consulted the book once more, brightening the mage light just enough to where he could see across the room. Then he paced off the required number of steps and started to hack away at the floorboard.

He jammed the crowbar into one of the new cracks and grunted, using his body's bulk to his advantage to break the wood. Falling to his knees, he tossed the boards aside and scratched at the ground with his nails, then with the crowbar.

An hour past. Two. Sweat poured down his face, soaked in the collar of his robes. He gave a sob of relief whenthe crowbar struck something solid and he returned to digging with his hands. After 10 minutes of digging and a few hard tugs, he pulled a long box out of the ground.

With trembling hands, he brushed the dirt off and lifted the lid.

The weapon resembled a double-edged sword with an odd-shaped mid-section that made it easy to hold onto. He lifted it out, held it in the air. Tears rolled down his cheeks. He found it. He was going to be free.

"Ah, I see you found what we've been looking for, Tarim-san."

He got to his feet, stumbled when he noticed his master perched on the table a few feet away from him. How long had he been there? "You...," he growled and pointed the weapon at him, recalled the incantation that the book said to recite. "Light, come forth!"

To his shock, twin tails of weak blue light emerged from the weapon. Stunned, he gaped at it. "What is this? It's suppose to be a powerful weapon!"

"Oh, but it is." His master got off the table and approached him. "It's extremely powerful in the hands of one who knows how to use it properly. You, Tarim-san, don't possess enough willpower to make it to lunchtime without complaining about how hungry you are." His eyes passed over the sorcerer's obese frame and he smirked.

Tarim mustered every bit of resolve that he had. As a result, the light blade flickered, grew a bit stronger. "I'll...I'll channel a Dragon Slave through this if I have to!"

His master lifted an eyebrow. "You? Do a Dragon Slave? That's about as impossible asthe former Swordsman of Lightbeing able to cast a Lighting spell, much less remember the name of it." He lifted a finger and cocked his head to one side. "Have you ever heard, Tarim-san, about how the golden dragons were wiped out during the Kouma Sensou? Fascinating story, that it is."

He pushed himself off the table,advanced on the trembling sorcerer. "You see, the Mazoku lords decided to send out a single man to do the job for them. That man happens to be me." He relieved Tarim of the weapon. "I thank you for finding this weapon for me. However, you have violated our agreement by desiring to kill me. For that, I have no further need for you."

With that, he lifted a finger and a ray of energy pierced Tarim, disintegrating the man as he lunged for him. Then, turning in a slow circle, he blasted all of the jars of chemicals stored in the basement, causing a chain reaction that lead to a massive explosion that surrounded him.

Tarim's finger, which had managed to penetrate the barrier divided the sorcerer from his master, fell to the ground.

Xelloss threw his head back, spread his armsand delighted in the screams of the dying. Then he returned to his master's side.