Yes, I am going to ramble a bit up here, but I felt like I should warn those who might object to the pairings that I have in this story. I am a firm Gourry/Lina, Amelia/Zel believer, and nothing anyone says will change my mind. Believe me, my parents once said that teaching a pig how to fly was easier than changing my mind once I had it set. I think I'm part mule.... I start out with a novel form of writting, but when I switch from telling the story to the comments from the Waystationers, I use the script form of writting. It was easier to write this way and much easier to tell when I went from the story to the commenting section. Anyway, this is my very first stab at putting a fanfic on the web, and comments would be more than appreciated. Flames will be trashed. You can reach me at akent2@freewwweb.com. Also, what the Waystation is is a place where anime characters can come to rest, relaxe, and just chill. The webpage (still under sever construction) is http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Gulf/7547. I'm hoping to eventually log some of my other fanfics there (some Waystation stories and an obvious self insertion fic where I get sucked into the world of Slayers TRY), as well as some fanart. As of right now, only Xeros-chan's room and Ferrio's rooms are functional. A very special thank you goes out to some special people, who put up with my constant bombarding of questions and constant begging of input on how they thought my story was coming. These people are Kerry, Starr (you guys know who you are wink), and Alina, author of several of my favorite Slayers fanfiction, among them are Slayers Holiday Special: First Night, and Slayers 25%. You can find these jewels of fanfiction at Alina's page. http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Island/2924/slayers.html, or at Steph-chan's page, Darkness Rising. http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Shrine/4750/ Thanks so much, guys. I wouldn't have had the courage to actually try and get this thing posted without your encouragement! For the audience, if you haven't noticed, I can't spell worth Jack. Ok, enough random babbling. On to the story!
It was a quiet day at the Waystation. Xeros had to go report to Xellas, which explained the unnatural silence. Amelia had gone grocery shopping, and Alyson was busy reading an Iris Johansen mystery when Van and Ranma came wandering in from the closet.
"Hey, Alyson! You like to write stories, don't you? Will you tell us one?" the bored boy king asked.
Alyson thought for a minute, then grinned. "Fine, but it's my story. No input or questions til I"m done," she said. Van and Ranma nodded. About this time, Lantis and Ferrio had gotten interested, and all the guys settled on or around the bed where Alyson was sitting with her back propped against the wall.
"Let's see, where shall I start. Ah!"
In one of those picturesque villages out in the middle of Nowhere lived a handsome young man named Gourry Gabriev. Now, those who knew Gourry called him the village idiot, but I've never seen an idiot who can sword fight the way Gourry can, so let's just say he's naive (those who want a better eplination, go to http://tsuki.animecity.ml.org/hikari-o/ The Gourry Shrine)
Van: Geez, she's really protective of Gourry.
Ranma: He's not even a resident here.
Alyson: Guys, shut up! Now, where was I....
Working on Gourry's farm was a young sorcerous in training named Lina Inverse. Now, Lina had wound up working on Gourry's farm when she had eaten more than she could pay for, and as punishment, she had been sent to work for Gourry for the past year. At the beginning of her year of labor, Lina had chaffed at having to work for "jellyfish brains", as she called him. As the year passed, however,
Gourry and Lina became the best of friends. Gourry always treated Lina like a lady (and sometimes like a child), carrying her to the doctor when she got hurt (over her very vocal protests), teaching her a few of his sword techniques, and being a target for some of her spells (i.e. FIREBALL!).
As the year wound it's way to a close, Lina found herself falling in love with Gourry (though she wouldn't admit it, even to herself), and Gourry fell in love with the little flame haired sorcerous, he just kept forgetting to tell her.
On the evening of her final day, Gourry watched with a downcast expression as Lina packed up her belongings.
"You're really going, aren't you, Lina?" Gourry asked for the fiftyith time.
Lina's left eyebrow twitched, and her hands tightened on one of her spare capes. She then grabbed Gourry and began to beat the ever loving snot out of him. "GOURRY YOU JELLYFISH BRAINS!!! YES, I AM LEAVING! I'M FINISHED HERE AND IT'S PAST TIME THAT I LEARNED NEW SPELLS!!"
"You'll come back, won't you?" the Gourry splat asked, sounding downright pitiful. Lina paused in her pounding for a moment, blinking in suprise.
"Um, I don't know," she replied, and then beat a hasy retreat, running out the door before the tears started to fall.
Gourry watched the dust that was Lina disapear into the distance, then he gave one of those soft, sweet smiles.
"She'll be back," he said, then turned his attetion to more pressing matters. What was he going to eat for dinner?!
Xeros: walking in Trust Gourry to think with his stomach.
Van: Just in time! The story just started!
Xeros: So I see. glancing at Alyson Substituting Slayers cast for The Princess Bride?
Alyson: Give the guy with the staff a prize! Now sit down and shut up.
Xeros: grin Pushy pushy pushy....
Several months later, Gourry received word that Lina had been captured and killed by the Dread Knight Luna. Gourry stayed in a state of shock for several days. The only thing that let people know he was still alive was the quantity of food that disappeared.
Several years passed, with no further news of either Lina or the Dread Knight Luna. Gourry continued to work on his farm, pretty much blocking out the world around him.
Xeros: Sounds like Gourry.
Alyson: WHAM I said, shut up.
Xeros: around his staff which had been shoved, point first, down his throat Mmpht!!
One day, when Gourry was out practicing manuvers in front of his farm house, a tall, distinguished man dressed in red robes rode up to his house. The man smiled.
"Greetings," the man said, catching Gourry's attention. "I am Count Rezo, the right hand man of the king and first advisor to the Princess Metallium."
Xeros: HOLD IT! Princess Metallium?
Alyson: Just listen.
Van: Suites him perfectly. snicker
"Princess who?" Gourry asked, scratching the back of his head.
"Perfect," Count Rezo thought to himself. "You're presance is requested at the palace," he said outloud. Not giving Gourry a chance to reply, he slapped a constraint spell on the startled swordsman, and hauled him off to the palace, where, in a whirlwind courtship that Gourry wasn't prestent at for the most part, he found himself engaged to the Princess Metallium.
"Aw man, how did that happen?" he wondered to himself as he walked down one of the many hallways.
In the Princesses chamber, Count Rezo and Princess Xeros were having a conversation.
"Where ever did you find him?" the Princess asked. "I didn't think you would be able to find someone who was that stupid whom I could marry, then kill and take his place as the king." While she was saying this, the "princess" had begun to remove her dress, showing a suprisingly flat and manly chest for a "she". Count Rezo sweatdropped.
"Your Highness, shouldn't you wait until I leave the chamber? What if someone comes in and sees you," he asked.
"What do I care? You're blind," the "princess" remarked, while changing into a pair of black pants and a tan colored shirt.
Rezo shook his head. "By the way, are the three you hired ready for their task?" he asked the princess...er....prince.
"Yes, they are more than willing to do the job," the prince chuckled, with Rezo soon joining in.
Gourry suddenly sneezed. "I wonder who's talking about me," he thought to himself.
Days seemed to blend into one another, and Gourry found that he had a natural knack for riding horses (with the balance of a swordsman, he better have a natural knack), and started taking long rides out into the country side. Not only that, but he found a friend in his handmaiden, Amelia, who would often ride with him and talk about justice and stopping the evils of the country. Gourry listened (as well as he could), because he figured if he was going to become king, he had better learn about what's going on in the country.
"Amelia?" Gourry asked one day when he was feeling particularly melancholy.
Amelia turned in her saddle, and looked back at Gourry. "What is it, Gourry?" she asked.
"Have you ever been in love before?"
Amelia blinked at the odd question. "In all honesty, Gourry, no, I haven't been. Not yet. Maybe, someday...... Why do you ask?"
Gourry got that blank look on his face again, and replied, "Um, I forgot."
Amelia sagged in her saddle, a sweat drop hanging above her head. "Why do I even try?" she wondered.
"Hey, Amelia," Gourry began. "who are those people?"
So saying, he pointed to a troop of three people who stood, blocking their way. Amelia glanced at them. One was a tall, lovely young woman with long purple hair and green eyes, who was dressed in some kind of outfit that shrine maidens usually wore. Another young woman had golden blond hair, bright blue eyes, and a tail? Amelia blinked, then turned her attetion to the only male in the group. This man intrigued her. He was dressed in a tan sorcerours outfit, with a cowl up over the top of his head, and the bottom half of his outfit pulled up over his mouth, so all one saw was his blue eyes, and bits of blue hair sticking out. His skin, what could be seen of it, also had a bluish cast to it and seemed to have stones embedded in it around his eye area.
"Who are you?" Gourry asked with a puzzled look on his face.
"We are three travels in search of someone who can tell us the way to the castle," the tall woman said.
"It's back that way about a mile," Amelia replied, warily watching the three.
"Great! Then no one will hear you scream," the man in tan replied, and cast a sleep spell on Amelia and Gourry.
"I didn't think there would be two of them," the blond remarked as she carred Gourry over her shoulder.
"Xeros didn't mention anything about the handmaiden. I guess we'll just have to take her along. We can't have her going and ruining Xeros' plans," the tall woman, who was obviously the leader, remarked. "Zelgadis, you grab the girl," she said to the man in tan.
Zelgadis grumbled, but picked up the sleeping Amelia and carried her onto their ship, which was stationed in the harbor a few feet away.
"Filia, be careful with Gourry. We don't want him damaged," the tall woman said.
"Sure thing, Sylphiel," Filia replied, and carried Gourry onto the ship as well.
Sylphiel made sure that part of Gourry's blue outfit had been ripped off and stuffed into the saddlebags, before sending both horses off on their merry way. She then climbed aboard the ship herself, and eyed her captives.
"He's kind of ... cute," she thought to herself. "What am I thinking?! I"ve got a job to do that's paying enough money to help rebuild the city and find a cure for my father! I don't have time to be enjoying the scenery, though it is fine scenery....." Sylphiel shook her head, and proceeded to give orders to set sail.
Filia and Zelgadis, bored out of their minds, started to make up rhymes.
"It's time to set sail!" Zel called to Filia.
"Hopefully, we won't have to bail," Filia answered while raising the sails.
"Stop that now!" Sylphiel called.
"Don't have a cow!" Zel answered, and snickered.
"AURGH!!!"
Xeros: I would have expected that response from Filia, not Sylphiel.
Alyson: Who's story is this? glare
Xeros: Ah, yours.....
Alyson: Thank you.
Later that night, after Gourry and Amelia had woken up, and Amelia loudly demanded to be released in the name of justice, things had pretty much quieted down. Gourry was sound asleep and leaning against the ship's side, while Amelia looked for ways to escape and tell the king and Princess what had happened. She didn't think it would be safe for Gourry to initiate the escape. No telling what would happen.
Sylpheil manned the wheel, while Zelgadis stood watching the night water. Filia kept herself busy tying knots and doing different manervours with her tail.
"Zel, will you stop looking out at the water?! It's totally pointless," Sylphiel called.
"Are you sure no one's following us?" Zelgadis asked, not taking his eyes off the water.
"It would be totally pointless for someone to have followed us! No one in Nowhere knows what we have done, and the people in Ignorance are totally clueless too. Um, why do you ask?" Sylphiel asked.
"Well, I just looked behind us, and something is there," Zel remarked.
"What?!" Sylphiel looked, and sure enough, there was a smaller ship following after them.
"Must be some looney out for a midnight sail," Sylphiel remarked.
"In sea dragon infested waters?" Zel asked.
A sudden splash turned their attention away from the gaining ship and to Amelia, who had launched herself overboard and was swimming away as fast as she could.
"AFTER HER! GET HER!" Sylphiel screamed.
"I can't swim," Zelgadis nonchalantly remarked, watching the fleeing Amelia with little expression on his face.
"Neither can I," Filia added.
Slyphiel pulled out a rod that had a crystal ball at the end of it, and conked Zelgadis on the head.
"You're a sorcerour, right? Then you can fly!" she commanded.
Zel grumbled, but cast a Raywing spell, and flew off after the fleeing handmaiden.
Amelia struggled against the current, then a sudden sound caught her attention. She turned her head to see Zelgadis hovering above her. Without taking time to think, she dove down under the waves. A look of irritation flashed across Zel's face, but before he could go after her, a sea dragon suddenly reared out of the water, with a very frightened Amelia in it's mouth. Zel swooped in, and grabbed her out before she could become dragon fodder. Amelia threw her arms around his neck in relief.
"Thank you," she said, "My hero!"
Zel sweatdropped, but thought to himself, "This isn't so bad..." He shook his head. He couldn't afford to let himself like one of the captives. He was, however, very gentle when he returned Amelia to the boat's deck. Amelia sagged down next to the now awake Gourry.
"That was really dumb, Amelia. Be careful, or I'll worry," Gourry remarked to her. Amelia smiled at him while watching Zelgadis.
"He's so sweet," Slyphiel thought to herself.
Xeros: now that's the Slyphiel we all know and love!
Alyson: Excuse me? Did you say you love her? gives Xeros a look that clearly said he had better not have meant that
Xeros: sweatdrop I didn't mean it like that! She's been pretty much out of character.
Alyson: sigh I know, but I felt like making her that way. I'm trying to bring her back around....
The rest of the night was uneventful, and by daybreak they were able to see the impossibly stiff Cliffs-That-No-One-Wanted-To-Climb, shortened to CNOWTC, and the smaller ship was still behind them.
"They're to late! Soon we will be at the top of the Cliff!" Sylphiel giggled.
They docked their ship right next to the base of the cliff, and Sylphiel grabbed ahold of Gourry while Zelgadis grabbed ahold of Amelia. They quickly cast levetation spells and flew to the top of the cliffs, while Filia transformed into a golden dragon and met them there. Once they were back on the land, with Gourry kissing the ground in thanks, Sylpiel glanced down and saw that the person who had manned the tiny ship that had been chasing them had docked alongside their ship, and proceeded to fly their way up the face of the cliff.
"Pointless! What's the point of coming after us?" Sylphiel wondered. She quickly cast a spell that disrupted the magics of the person who was after them. The red head quickly grabbed ahold of the side of the cliff and glared up at them with angry red eyes.
"There, that should slow whoever that is down. Zelgadis, if, for some reason, they manage to climb their way up here, use the sword or your magic," Sylphiel comanded, while grabbing Gourry and Amelia by the arms and dragged them off, with Filia following close behind.
"Zelgadis, please be careful," Amelia said, gazing at Zel over her shoulder before Sylphiel pulled her out of sight.
Zel shrugged, and wandered around the area, stopping only momentarily to sharpen his sword against a large stone. Suddenly, the red head appeared above the lip of the cliff, looking ready to spit nails. Zelgadis took a moment to observe his opponent. She looked to be about seventeen years old, with a very colorful sorcerous outfit. Curly red hair hung down her back, and red eyes gazed at him from the holes in the face mask that she wore.
"Let me guess, you're here to fight me," she said.
"That's right. I could have easily finished you off while you hung on the cliff, but that wouldn't have been much fun. I figured I would allow you to come up the rest of the way," Zel said, sounding bored.
"Right, well, let's get it over with," the masked woman said.
Zel grinned, and pulled out his sword. The redhead raised an eyebrow.
"Swords? I would have thought with your level of power you would want to battle it out magic to magic."
"I find swords to be more challenging," Zel remarked, then lunged at the redhead.
The redhead sidestepped, and drew her own sword, meetings Zel's next thrust with a parry. They fought silently for a moment, then the redhead commented, "You're not half bad."
"So I've been told. By the way, why are you wearing a mask?" Zel asked.
"So you can't see who I am, you moron!" the redhead yelled.
"Can I ask you a question?" Zel asked while dodging a well placed swipe of the redhead's sword.
"What's that?"
"You wouldn't happen to know a blind priest, would you?"
"Why do you ask?"
"A blind priest is the one who gave me this monstrous body. I've been hunting him down for the past several years. When I meet him, I plan to say, 'Hello. My name is Zelgadis. You turned me into a chimera. Prepare to pay."
"That's really cheesy," the redhead commented, then turned her attention back to the fight.
The sword fight went on like this for several more minutes, and then the redhead, tired of the wait, cast a powerful sleep spell that knocked Zelgadis out. She looked down at him, shrugged, and ran off in the direction that the otheres had taken.
Van: That was short lived.
Alyson: Sorry, I'm not very good with sword fights.
Van: Oh.
Slyphiel had been wondering about something. "Tell me, Gourry, why don't you try to fight us? We've heard what a great swordsman you are, and yet you go along with us when we're kidnapping you. Why?" she asked.
Gourry gave her a look of complete seriousness. "It's my duty to be chilverous, and what kind of man fights against girls, anyway? That's against a code of honor."
"And the code of justice," Amelia added in.
Sylphiel gazed at Gourry. "Oh, Gourry dear, I had no idea that that's the way you...," she broke off when she noticed a small figure coming over the rise. "Impossible! How could Zelgadis have been defeated?! He's as good with the sword as he is with his magic!"
"ZELGADIS!" Amelia screamed, and broke away from Filia. She took off running at top speed, passed the redhead, and was over the next rise on her way to Zelgadis before anyone could blink.
Gourry and the others blinked. Sylphiel shrugged, and turned her attention to Filia.
"Since it sems like Zel was defeated, I want you, Filia, to finish her off your way," Sylphiel ordered.
"Oh good! My way! Um, which way is my way?" Filia asked.
"You wait for the redhead, and when her head appears over the next rise, smash it with your mace," Sylphiel ordered, and dragged Gourry off.
"Don't get hurt, Filia!" Gourry called as he walked away with Sylphiel.
"I won't get much fun out of this if I just ambush her...," Filia thought to herself as she waited for the redhead to reach her.
Gourry turned to look at Sylphiel as they walked off. "Do you mind if I ask you a question?"
Slyphiel looked up at Gourry. "What's that?"
"Why are you doing this? You don't seem to be the type who would willing kidnapp someone else," Gourry remarked.
Sylphiel's eyes widened, and then they suddenly filled with tears.
"What? Did I say something wrong? I'm sorry!" Gourry stammered, his hand behind his head in embarrassment.
"No, you didn't say anything wrong. I guess you do have a right to know. You see, my father is deathly ill, and we have no money to find a healer. Not only that, but part of my city was destroyed when a huge demon beast decided that it wanted to live there. I was offered enough money to rebuild the city, but the most important part is that I was offered the services of a powerful healer who could heal my father," Sylphiel explained.
Xeros: You mean to tell me that Sylphiel is acting out of characater because of her father?
Alyson: CLANG Yes, you demon moron. I know how close she was to her father, and I figured that if she was given the chance to save him, she would go all out. Even if it meant acting like Filia and Lina on PMS.
Lantis: PMS? Is this a new monster?
Alyson: sweatdrop Ahh, nevermind..... I forgot that you Cephiro guys wouldn't know what that was. I'll explain sometime in the very far away future.
Ferrio: Ah, ok.
The redhead cautiously crept up the hill, and suddenly ducked when a large mace came crashing down where her head had been.
"I could have hit you if I had wanted to," came Filia's voice, and she came out from behind the rock where she had been hiding.
"Right," the redhead said.
"Well, shall we get on with it?" Filia asked, swinging her mace casually with one hand.
"Might as well," the redhead sighed, and took up a fighting stance.
Filia grinned, and placed her hands against the gem that was on the front of her dress. A golden light enveloped her, and suddenly, instead of the young woman, a large golden dragon stood in front of the redhead.
The redhead sweatdropped. "That was bit showy, don't you think?"
"Not at all," the dragon Filia responded, then took to the air.
"Oh great.....," the redhead muttered.
The dragon swooped down towards her, and shot a blast of white energy from it's mouth at her. The redhead dodged, then threw her own spell at the dragon. "FIREBALL!"
The fireball impacted the dragon, but she just shrugged it off and swooped again, the high speed winds knocking the redhead off of her feet. The redhead slowly climbed back to her feet, and her red eyes narrowed.
"That's it! Time for the big stuff!" She climbed up to stand on one of the larger boulders, and her long red hair began to blow in the breeze that her power stirred up.
"Darkness beyond twilight, crimson beyond blood that flows, buried in the flow of time.... In thy great name I pledge myself to concour all those that stand, against this mighty gift bestowed to my unworthy hand. DRAGON SLAVE!!!"
The high powered spell raced it's way towards the dragon Filia, who teleported just before the spell impacted her. The blast that the spell created leveled all the trees in a five mile radius. The redhead grinned, brushed her hands together, and moved off in the direction that Gourry and Sylphiel had taken.
Meanwhile, at the top of the CTNOWTC......
"There was a sword fight here, and then, the winner ran off in the direction that my fiancee was taken, and another person returned to take care of the losing swordsman. Judgindg by the shoe type, I'd say that a young woman returned, and then, over here, the loser and the young woman made passionate love..." Princess Metallium said, sitting side saddle on her purple horse.
"You can really tell that?" an old man with wide eyes asked.
"Ah, no. I'm just trying to spice up the story a bit," the princess replied with a sweatdrop.
Xeros: I knew nothing like that would have happened.
Alyson: Yeah, well, comedy.....
The redhead crested her final hill, grumbling, "How many of these damn hills can they go over? I'm hot, I'm hungry, and I want to take a bath...." She stopped and blinked when she saw Sylphiel sitting with Gourry in front of a large, flat rock.
"Well, you've made it this far. Let's see if you can get past me," Sylphiel remarked. Gourry sat next to her with a blank expression on his, looking like he wasn't paying any attention at all.
"I don't have time to play with you," the red head snarled. "Just hand over the guy, and you won't get hurt."
"Ah, but I don't want to give up dear Gourry," Sylphiel said with a smile. "You see, I've grown to like him, and if I complete this mission, then my father will be saved."
"I don't really care one way or the other. Now back off, or you'll get hurt," the redhead snarled once again.
Sylphiel casually pulled out a long, sharp knife, and waved it in Gourry's direction. "Well, as much as it pains me to hurt Gourry dear, you really don't leave me much of a choice. Either you face me, or he gets it."
Gourry blinked, then casually reached over the plucked the knife out of Sylphiel's hands. She stared at him, stunned.
"You really shouldn't be waving that around, you might hurt someone," he said.
"THAT WAS THE POINT OF WAVING IT AROUND, YOU MORON!" the redhead screamed, not really liking this turn of events.
"Oh, really? Well, she could have hurt herself as well. Look, Sylphiel," Gourry began, turning his innocent blue eyes on her. "As much as I've enjoyed this vacation, I really do need to be going."
"What, missing your love already?" the redhead sneered.
"I'm not in love with her, and she's not the reason I"m going back," Gourry said, turning to include the redhead in his gaze. "I'm worried about Amelia. She's lived in the castle all her life, and she could get in trouble out there. I gotta find her before that happens."
"But, what about my father?" Sylphiel asked, knowing full well that Gourry could get away from her easily without Filia or Zelgadiss there to help.
Gourry looked thoughtful for a moment......
Xeros: Better watch it or he'll strain something and die before you can finish this story.
Alyson: twitch I TOLD YOU TO SHUT UP AND HE'S NOT STUPID! WHAM WHAM CLANG CRASH SMASH
Ferrio: That looked like it hurt.
Lantis: No kidding.
Ranma: And I thought Akane could cause devestating bodily damage.....
Alyson: sitting on a new Xeros Easy Chair (tm) Now, where was I.....
Gourry looked thoughtful for a moment, then smiled and reached into one of his pockets, and pulled out a rather large bag that clinked when he set it down on the rock that Sylphiel had been using as a table.
"Will this do?" he asked.
"But....why?" Sylphiel wondered, perplexed.
"You were looking so sad about your father that I wanted to help. Consider it payment for this wonderful vacation," Gourry replied with another one of those sweet smiles (tm).
"How can I think you, Gourry dear?" Sylphiel asked, her eyes filling with tears.
"You don't. He said it was payment for his 'vacatioin'," the redhead snorted. "Come on, we're going," she added, and grabbed Gourry's arm and dragged him off. Soon they were out of Sylphiel's sight, who immidently turned her attentions to getting back to Sairaag and her ailing father.
The redhead, meanwhile, had not let go of Gourry's arm, and continued to drag him over hill and dale, while Gourry stumbled along behind her. They soon reached a place that looked good for a rest, and the redhead dropped Gourry's arm and did just that. Gourry stood there scratching his head, then shrugged.
"Um, where are we going?" he asked, confused.
"Your fiancee is hot on our tails, and I don't really relish the thought of running into him," the redhead answered.
"Him? I'm engaged to the princess," Gourry corrected her.
"Actually, you're engaged to a prince," the redhead returned.
Gourry turned blue, and a disgusted look crossed his face. "You mean I'm going to marry a GUY?! UGH!"
"You jellyfish brains, didn't you know that?" the redhead asked.
Gourry stared at the redhead in shock. Only Lina had called him jellyfish brains. It couldn't be.... He reached out, and snatched the mask off of her face, to revel that she did, indeed, have Lina's face. Lina glared at him.
"What did you go and do that for?" she demanded.
"Y-you're a GHOST!!" Gourry screamed, and took a step away from the Lina look alike, only to encounter air where ground should have been. Needless to say, he went tumbling head over heels down a very sharp incline. Lina blinked, then sighed as a sweatdrop formed above her head.
"What did they see in him?" she muttered to herself, but got to her feet, cast a levitation spell, and flew down to where Gourry was sprawled in an inelagent heap on the ground.
"Gourry," she said, when he turned stunned eyes in her direction. "I'm not a ghost, see?" So saying, she grabbed his hand and squezed it till the bones creaked.
"OWWWW!!!!!!"
"I wouldn't be able to hurt you if I were a ghost, jellyfish brains," Lina said with a smile.
"But I heard that the Dread Knight Luna had killed you," Gourry said, trying to figure out how Lina could be dead and yet be alive right in front of him. He was failing miserably.
Xeros: What else is new?
Alyson: What are you doing out of your chair formation?! WHAM WHAM WHAM
Lina shuddered. "Well, when I first saw her, I honestly thought that she was going to kill me."
"Why is that?" Gourry asked.
"She's my older sister," Lina choked out.
"Huh? Why would your sister want to kill you?"
"It's a long story that I don't have time to go into. Let's just say that I worked for her for the past few years, and only now have I been able to come back here," Lina said.
"Oh, ok! Um, I have another question."
"What is it?" Lina sighed.
"Why were you wearing the mask?"
"You moron. I didn't want them to know who I was!" Lina pratically snarled.
"Why?"
"Because I could havegotten into some serious trouble if they thought I was part of your kidnapping," Lina yelled.
"Well, for whatever reason, I'm glad you're here now," Gourry said, an undescribable emotion in his blue eyes. Lina gazed at him for a moment, then blushed despite her best efforts to hide it. Gourry reached out, and laid a hand gently against her cheek, and slowly moved his head towards hers.......
Xeros: HOLD IT, TIME OUT! Those two aren't going to kiss, are they?
Van: I never thought you would be squimish over a kiss.
Xeros: Oh shut up.
Alyson: Fine, we'll skip that part. grumble
Xeros: No need to get all upset!
Alyson: You better not be squimish because you like Lina.....
Xeros: sweatdrop Of course that's not it!
Van: Hmm..
Lina and Gourry gazed up at the top the incline where the Princess....er....Prince in a dress and his followers were standing, looking down at them.
"Hah! He's to late! We'll soon be in the Forest of Fear!" Lina crowed.
"But Lina, I heard that there's all kinds of bad things in the Forest of Fear," Gourry said.
"You're only saying that because no one goes in there. Come on!" Lina said, and grabbed Gourry's arm and dragged him into the forest's shadows.
"Damn, we lost them in the Forest!" Xeros swore.
"We could always go to the other side and wait for them to come out," Reze suggested, trying to calm Xeros' tempter.
"Good idea! Let's go!" he said, and turned his purple horse in the direction of the forest's exit.
Lina and Gourry walked along a small, little used game path, ducking under branches, and hacking down vines that got in their way. Gourry, for the most part, kept quiet because he didn't want to alert the residents of the forest that they were there. They hadn't gone far when a strange sound reached their ears. It sounded almost like running water. Lina motioned for Gourry to stand still for a bit, then shrugged, and moved off. Just as she took one step, however, a large, oversized fish with arms and legs suddenly zoomed out of nowhere......
The forest suddenly rang out with a pure scream of horror. Gourry stared in shock at the fish that was now attatched to Lina's face. He shook his head, grabbed the fish by the tail, and slammed it head first into a nearby tree, rendering it quite dead. He then turned to a very shell shocked Lina, who now had a nice wet place where the fish had been attatched.
"Lina?" he asked, concerned.
"Oh the smell.....," Lina chocked out.
"You'll be find," Gourry said in response, and handed Lina the cloth that he would use to wipe down his sword after practice. Lina gratefully took it, and wiped off the fish slime.
"That was .... icky.....," she managed to get out, before grabbing Gourry and running through the forest. More fish men attacked, but Gourry simply pulled out his sword and sliced them into sushi. The next few minutes were spent in uneventful walking, with only Lina's grumbling as the source of sound. Suddenly, the ground beneath Gourry's feet gave way, and he found himself at the bottom of a shallow pit.
"What on earth?!" came Lina's voice from above, when, suddenly....
"OH, hohohohohohohohohohohohohohohoho!!!"
Xeros: Oh, you are so cruel. wide grin
An earsplitting laugh rent the air (think Nahga), and Gourry crouched down in the bottom of the pit, covering his ears and whimpering. Lina was starting to go into convulsions, but she knew she had to get Gourry out of the pit. He wasn't going to be able to last much longer without going mad. Since she was not inside the pit, she was avoiding the worste of the noise. Wincing, she looked about and found what she was looking for. A long vine that could be lowered into the pit to pull Gourry out. She dragged the vine over to the pit, and lowered it down, instructing Gourry, over the noise, to grab ahold of it. Gourry pried his fingers away from his ears, and grabbed the vine. While Lina pulled, he climbed, and through the two of them, they were able to pull him out. As soon as he was out of the pit, the hideous laughter stopped, and they both breathed a sigh of relief.
"I don't know about you, Lina, but I really don't like it here," Gourry stated once his ears stopped ringing.
"I don't like it either, but we have to get thourgh. At least now we know what we're up against. There's the Flying Fishmen, which we can pinpoint because they are preceeded by a rushing water sound. Not only that, but they're no match for your sword. Then there are the Pits of the Ear Splitting Laugh, which you discovered, and now we know what they look like. So it will be easy to avoid them. Besides, I don't relish getting my ears blasted like that again," Lina replied.
"You're ears? By the way, Lina, I have a question," Gourry stated.
"EH? Oh well, go ahead and ask away," Lina replied.
"What about the DMM's?"
"The Dancing Mummy Men? I honestly don't think that they exist," Lina replied, when a sudden, heavy object landed on her back, forcing her to the ground face first. She quickly rolled to the side, and came up, ready to fight. What she saw caused her jaw to hit the ground.
A mummy, wearing a black cape and showing only a single eye, was hanging from the branches of the tree by some of his torn bandages. The tree branches bouncing movements were jerking the mummy around in a sad parody of a dance. Lina bit her lip, snickered, then gave in and began laughing so hard that she had to sit on the ground before she fell down. The mummy man glared at them, but before he could say anything, the tree branches gave a lurch, and he was flung off somewhere in the forest. The sounds of a crash and then that sick laughter stated that he had, unfortunantly, landed in one of the Pits of Ear Splitting Laughter.
Gourry looked off in the direction that the mummy man took, with a rather large question mark above his head. Lina saw this, and sighed. She shook her head, climbed back to her feet, and grabbed Gourry's arm once again, and headed in the direction that they had been taking.
Hours later, after avoiding about a dozen more fishmen, ten more Pits, and the mummy man, Lina and Gourry finally exited the Forest of Fears. Both of them issued huge sighs of relief that got choked off when about twenty sword points were aimed at their throats.
"Ahh, Gourry, how nice of you to return to me," "Princess" Metallium exclaimed.
Lina suddenly found herself sporting a brand new Gourry shaped hat. Gourry took one look at the "Princess", and started to scream, "GAH! IT'S THAT GUY THAT'S DRESSED UP LIKE A GIRL!!"
Xeros twitched for a moment, the smothed his/her features to look like a mask of gentle concern.
"Why Gourry, dear, I have no idea what you're talking about! Now, be a good boy and come home," Xeros said.
"I'm not going anywhere with you, you FREAK!" Gourry shouted. Xeros shrugged, calmly turned to Count Rezo, and said, "Cast a sleep spell on them."
"Yes, Your Highness," Count Rezo said, bowed, and cast the spell. Gourry fell off Lina's head with a thump, but Lina held onto a small bit of conciousness, and glared at the Count.
"Why do you glare at me?" Count Rezo asked.
"You're a blind priest," Lina said, slurring her words a bit. "Someone was looking for you."
Rezo clenched his fist, and Lina dropped to the ground like a ton of bricks.
"Take Gourry to the castle, but take our redheaded friend to your lab, Rezo," Xeros commanded, and rode off in the direction of Nowhere.
TIME PASSES
Gourry once again wandered the hallways of the castle, this time, though, he was insearch of a way out. There was no way he was going to marry a guy! Not only that, but he was really worried about Lina and Amelia. He still hadn't found Amelia, and he had been alone when he woke up in the castle. Whenever he would ask "Princess Metallium" about Lina, all he would get for an answer was, "That's a secret". He just didn't know what to do! So, he explored the castle, figuring that if he were ever given the chance to escape, he would take it, and go find Lina.
"That's the fifth time I've seen him stare at that wall," Count Rezo commented to Xeros as the two walked down the hallway.
"How can you see that? You're blind!" Xeros remarked, and Rezo sighed with a large sweatdrop hanging above his head.
"Never mind. I'm going to interrigate the prisoner, are you going to come?" Rezo asked.
"Rezo, you know how much I enjoy pain and watching you work, but I have my marriage to plan, my groom to kill, the kingdom to take over and convince that I am really a guy, and my shoes to shine. I just can't make it!" Xeros sighed.
Rezo patted Xeros on the shoulder, and instructed him to get some sleep, and he would see to the prisoner. Xeros readily complied. After all, being evil was such an energy comsumer!
Xeros: You have no idea.
Alyson: Oh hush and let me finish this.
Lina slowly opened her eyes, and was instantly in a grumpy mood from the large headache that was pounding behind her eyes. She squinted her eyes, and looked around. It looked like she was in some kind of laboratory, and was strapped down on a wooden table. She groaned, and instantly a cool cloth was laid on her forehead. Turning her head, Lina caught sight of a very pretty young woman with black hair and a minidress type outfit on.
"Where am I?" she croaked out.
"The Tree Knot of Pain!" the woman said in a dark, scratchy voice. "Don't even... hack hack cough, spit don't even try to escape. You're bonds are magically warded," the woman continued in a more normal tone of voice.
"Why are you trying to ease my headache, then?" Lina asked grumpily.
"Well, Lord Rezo likes to work on healthy subjects, and you're not healthy with your head pounding like that," the woman replied.
Lina snorted, "So, he's gonna torture me? Oh, I'm scared. By the way, what's your name?"
"Why do you want to know?" the woman asked.
"So I'll know who I'm gonna fireball when I get out of these bonds!" Lina snarled.
The woman laughed. "Oh, that's a good one! Hahahahahahaha! Well, if you must know, my name is Eris. I live to serve Lord Rezo."
"Well, isn't that just peachy," Lina remarked snidely.
Eris was spared a come back by the arrival of Rezo himself.
"Well, Eris, how is she doing?" he asked.
"Oh, Lord Rezo!" Eris gushed, causing Lina to gag. "She's doing well! She'll be ready for you questioning in a few seconds."
"Excellent! I'll go and get my recording instruments!" Rezo exclaimed, and moved off.
"HOW DO YOU EXPECT TO RECORD WHAT I'M SAYING AND DOING WHEN YOU'RE BLIND?!!" Lina screamed, causing Rezo's body to twitch as he turned around.
"Eris, would you be so kind as to gag our captive?" he asked. Eris gleefully obeyed, and Lina soon found herself with a mouth full of cloth.
"Now, shall we begin? You see this jar?" Rezo askes, holding up a jar that looked like it was filled with some kind of pickle, or something. Then one of the pickles moved. Lina's eyes widened in horror as she realized that the jar was full of ..... SLUGS!!!
"MMMPPPPHHHHHTTTT!!!"
MEANWHILE
Zelgadis is sitting with his back against a wall, sucking on a rather large cup of coffee. Amelia is sitting next to him, her hands behind her head and her eyes closed. (Peacefull scene, no?) Zel sighs, and looks out into the distance.
"She said that if anything happened and we got split up, then we should all go back to where we first met. Well, I'm here, and she hasn't shown. I'll hang around for a few moments longer, but I need to continue on my quest," he thought to himself. Beside him, Amelia stirred, then streatched.
"Gourry's got me worried, more so than usual," she commented to herself.
"Oh? And why is that?" Zelgadiss asked this strange young woman who had removed the sleep spell from him, then said that she was from the castle, and needed to get back there. Over the course of several days of traveling, he had learned that she had a heart of gold, which more than made up for her obsession about justice. He has asked her about it once, but she only said that her mother had been killed years ago.
"Well, Gourry is a bit ... dense sometimes. Don't get me wronge, he's a wonderful friend, but sometimes he just doesn't understand things, even when they're right in front of him," Amelia explained, gazing out at the forest that surrounded the small cabin they were currently using as a back rest.
"I see," Zel remarked. He was about to say something else, when a familar pink skirt with a gold tail hanging out of the bottom appeared in his line of vision. Zelagdiss looked up, and almost smiled when he saw Filia.
"Hey, Filia, what are you doing out here? I thought Sylphiel had found you out by the Fire Dragon King's Sanctuary," Zel remarked.
"Sylphiel has returned to her own country, and I was bored with the Sanctuary, so I figured that I would find you here. Hello, Amelia. I hope there are no hard feelings over your capture," Filia said to the young hand maiden.
Amelia smiled up at the blond woman. "Of course not!"
"So, Filia, is there any reason why you decided to hunt me out?" Zelgadiss asked, rising to his feet.
"Well, I remember you saying that you were searching for a blind priest, and since I have nothing better to do, I thought you might like my help," Filia explained.
Before Zelgadiss could reply, Amelia had jumped to her feet, and was staring at Filia with wide eyes. "Did you say blind priest?"
"Yes. He is the one that turned me into a chimera," Zel said, eyeing Amelia, wondering what she was getting at.
"Do you know the name of this priest?"
"His name is Rezo."
Amelia's eyes glazed, and she sat down with a thump.
"What is it?" Filia asked.
"The right hand man of the Princess is a blind priest known as Count Rezo," Amelia said softly.
"All right! Let's go so I can kill him!" Zel exclaimed, and made to move off when Filia grabbed his arm.
"Wait, Zel, we can't just run off without a plan! We don't know how we're going to get into the castle, where Rezo may be, and how to get out afterwards," Filia explained.
"What does that matter? He's going to pay for doing this to me! Amelia knows how to get into the castle, don't you, Amelia?" Zel asked, turning to the young handmaiden.
"Well, yes, I know how to get into the castle, but I have no idea where and how to find Count Rezo. Not only that, but the Princess hardley ever leaves his side. How are we to get past her, as well?"
Zel thought for a moment, then he hit his hands together as he came upon a plan. "We need that redheaded sorcerous! She was able to knock me out with a sleep spell.....,"
"And she almost toasted me with a Dragon Slave," Filia finished.
"Anyone have any idea where the sorcerous is?" Amelia asked.
"No," Zel sighed.
"Well, I know the castle isn't far from here, and since I am a servent, I can easily get back into the castle, and see what the situation is," Amelia voulantered.
Zel nodded, and Amelia took off in the direction of the castle, hoping that her absence had gone largely unnoticed by the castle residets.
Zel and Filia waited for word from the handmaiden, but after two hours and still no word, they decided that it would be best if they searched out the sorcerous on their own. Zel suppressed a small stab of concern over Amelia's safety, assuring himself that she was fine and safe where she was.
IN THE LAB
"Well, you've held up very well under the slug torture, so it's time to bring out the big stuff," Rezo said to a glaring Lina.
Lina was still chewing on an old piece of cloth, and her eyes promised lots of pain and fire if they didn't release her imediantly. Rezo, being blind, didn't notice, and Eris just ignored her. Rezo leaned over and pulled the cloth out of Lina's mouth.
"Now," he said before she could get a word in, "I want your honest opinion of my methods."
"YOU BLIND FRUITCAKE! LET ME GO THIS INSTANT OR I'M GONNA DRAGON SLAVE YOUR BUTT ALL OVER THIS BLASTED COUNTRY!" Lina shouted at the top of her lungs.
"Now now now, is that any way for a young lady to talk?" Rezo asked. He tsked, "Looks like I'll have to resort to the creature I brought out of the Forest of Fear."
Lina froze in horror as a deep voice said, "Is it my turn?" She turned her head, and paled when the saw the large fishman that was standing in the doorway. The fishman looked at Lina, and blushed.
"You left the forest so fast! COME BACK TO ME!" the fishman yelled, and ran up to Lina and promptly sucked her face into his mouth. Lina's scream of horror resounded throughout the lab and into the surrounding countryside.
Zel and Filia stopped and listened.
"What's that noise?" Filia asked.
"It's the sound of someone who's being put through more than they can handle, and it's my guess that it's coming from the sorcerous," Zel explained. "Filia, can you connect your mind with that of the Fire Dragon King and find what we're looking for?"
"I can try," Filia said, and placed her hands against the sides of her head, closed her eyes, and concentrated.
IN THE CASTLE
Amelia hunted around the castle corridors. Gourry hadn't been in his room, so she figured that he had to be exploring the castle. Sure enough, she ran into him still standing and staring at the same wall that Xeros and Rezo had found him at.
"Gourry!" she shouted, and ran up to give him a hug.
"Amelia, what are you doing here? Are you alright?" Gourry asked, looking down at his friend and handmaiden.
"I'm fine, how about you? When did you get back here, and do you know where Count Rezo is?"
Gourry shuddered. "They're preparing the wedding ceramony for me and that .... guy..... who's dressed up like a girl," Gourry said, nearly retching over the thought of what was going to happen. "As for Count Rezo, the last I saw of him was at, ummmmmm, breakfast this morning. So what are we going to do, Amelia? Lina wasn't here when I woke up, and I don't know where she is!"
"Lina? Oh, that must be the redheaded sorcerous. Don't worry, Gourry, Zelgadiss and Filia are looking for her," Amelia reassured the upset swordsman.
"What are we going to do?" Gourry asked.
Amelia sagged. "I guess the only thing we can do is wait for Zelgadiss and Filia to find Lina."
Gourry sighed, but agreed. Until then, the two decided, they would take advantage of the castle's extensive kitchen, and go fill up on good food.
IN THE FOREST
"Anything?" Zel asked Filia.
Filia had been walking around, concentrating, and had gradually led them deeper into the forest. She suddenly opened her eyes, and pointed to a really knotty, old tree.
"That's where the sorcerous is," she said. Zel sighed with a sweatdrop hanging over his head. Filia glared at him. "You're doubting my powers as a Shrine Maiden?" she snarled, and promptly hiked up her skirt, jerked out her mace, and clobbered the tree into several two by fours, and twice as many toothpicks. The hole where the tree had been revealed a set of stairs. Without waiting for Filia, or thanking her, Zel grinned gleefully and ran down the stairs. Filia followed him, grumbling. When they finally reached the main area of the lab, they discovered Lina laying on a table. The lack of movement worried Filia, for she was afraid that they were to late. She walked over the table, and layed her head against Lina's chest.
"Well?" Zel asked impatiently.
"She's alive, but she's in a state of deep shock. Judging from the smell, she was kissed by one of those fishmen," she explained.
"How much money do you have on you?" Zel asked.
"Um, about ten gold pieces," Filia said. "Why?"
"I hope it's enough to buy some shock therapy," Zel answered, and picked Lina up off the table and carried her out the door.
They soon came to a thatched cottage, and waisted no time in knocking on the door. A small panel slid back, and revealed a man with long black hair wearing an olive green hat.
"We're not taking any patients!" the man said, and slid the panel shut again.
Filia raised her eyebrow, and promptly brought out her mace and smashed the door to tiny little bits. Zelgadiss carried Lina into the shadowy interior, and laid her on the closest table.
"I told you we weren't taking any patients!" the man with that hat said again, glaring at the intruders.
"Now, Zangulas, is that anyway to treat potential paying customers?" a man asked. He was tall, wearing a brown cloak and cowel, with a red jewel stuck in the center of his forehead.
"Fine, do what you like, Vrumagen," Zangulas said, and retreated into the shadows.
"Now, what do we have?" Vrumagen asked, looking at the shocked Lina.
"We think she was kissed by a fishman," Filia replied.
"Bet that was fun," Zangulas snorted.
"How much will it take to bring her out of the shock?" Zel asked.
"How much do you have?"
"Ten gold pieces," Filia answered.
"To little. In this type of case, I don't work for under fifty. The consequences of my treatments can have very interesting affects," Vrumagen stated.
"Are you sure? She's going to help us storm the castle, get the man that turned Zelgadiss into a chimera, and rescue the princess's fiancee," Filia asked.
"The Princess' fiancee???!!! Gourry, you mean?" Zangulas asked. At Filia's nod, he suddenly took a pose with his swordpoint pointed towards Vrumagen. "You must take this job! I have to find out which of us is the better swordsman, me or Gourry!"
"Shut up, servent," Vrumagen commanded.
"I'm not a servant, I'm your bodyguard! But if you don't take this job, then I quit!" Zangulas stated.
"Good ridance, then," Vrumagen laughed.
"Wait a minute, didn't you once tell me that you were in the employ of the crown prince, but that he was called away suddenly, and that's when Count Rezo fired you?" Zangulas asked with a sly look on his face.
"Yes, that stinking count surely wanted to cover something up," Vrumagen snarled.
"Well, these people said that they were going to go after the count if we helped them. Surely it wouldn't hurt to help in order to see the count humiliated."
Vrumagen thought it over for about a half a second, then said, "Alright, give me the ten gold pieces. I'll do the job!"
Filia handed the ten gold pieces to Vrumagen, and then the rest stepped back as he approached the still Lina. Vrumagen eyed her for a moment, then took his hand and placed it on her chest. Lina suddenly came alive with a scream.
"WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU'RE PUTTING YOUR HANDS YOU PERVERT?! FIREBALL!!!!!"
The cabin and it's current inhabitants were all burnt to a crisp. Lina gazed around at the destruction, and blushed. "Sorry, it's just a reflex."
After healing the group, and putting the cabin back together, the threesome left with promises to Zangulas that they would let him know where Gourry was once they finished, so that Gourry could kick his butt in a fair swordfight.
"So, Zel, how are we going to get into the castle?" Lina asked.
"We'll bust in," Zel stated. Lina promptly bonked him on the head.
"You don't just alert the enemy to the fact that you're at their door! We need a plan!" Lina explained, rubbing her throbbing elbow from where it had connected with Zel's rock hard head.
"Oh? And what would that plan be?" Zel asked.
Lina's face went blank, and she said, "Um, good question. Wait, Filia, can't you teleport yourself from one place to another?"
"Yes, I can do that," Filia answered.
"Great! You can teleport us into the castle, and that way we'll have suprise on our side!" Lina exclaimed. Wasting no more time, she promptly grabbed Filia's arm, instructed Zel to do the same, and Filia then teleported them into the main entranceway of the castle. To their luck, it happened to be empty. However, their luck didn't hold out, for as soon as they turned a corner off one of the side hallways, they ran into several castle gaurds on their way to the wedding that was getting ready to take place.
"Alright!!!!" Lina exclaimed, and the three friends launched into battle. Lina attacked with fireballs and flare arrows, while Zel switched between spells and his sword. Filia caused massive destruction with her mace, swinging left and right like a major league baseball player. Against this type of attack, the soldiers fell back, one by one, as the three forced their way towards the chapel.
Inside the chapel, Gourry was standing at the alter, looking very good in a black tux, I must say.....
Xeros: Nice side tangent.
Alyson: blush Sorry.
Lantis: Quite alright.
Anyway, Gourry was standing at the alter, and beside him stood the "Princess" Metallium in a lovely white wedding dress. Amelia stood off to the right, in the position of the Maid of Honor. Eris was performing the ceramony, once again distorting her voice.
"Mawage! Mawage is what bwings us togetha today!" Both Gourry and the "Princess" sweatdropped.
"Is thewe anyone who can bwing fowth a weason that these two should not be mawwaied?"
"I DO!" came a voice from the back of the chapel. Gourry turned, and his heart leapt when he saw a mad as hell Lina Inverse. Standing behind her were Filia and Zelgadiss, who's eyes went instantly to the blind priest that was standing a little behind Eris.
Eris stared at Lina, but she wasn't given a chance to say anything, because Lina had rushed forward, and ripped the front of the "Princess'" wedding gown, revealing...... a very manly chest.
"This is not a Princess, but an imposter!" Lina yelled over the whispers and murmers. Gourry promptly turned blue, and passed out.
Zelgadiss ran forwards, and shoved both Lina and then Eris out of his way. He stood confronting Count Rezo, and said, "Hello. My name is Zelgadiss. You turned me into a chimera. Prepare to pay."
"THAT IS STILL THE CHEEZIEST LINE I'VE EVER HEARD!" Lina yelled, rushing to Gourry's side.
"Oh? And how are you going to do that, grandson/great grandson?" Rezo asked with a smirk.
"Grandson/great grandson?" Amelia asked, looking back and forth between Zel and Rezo.
"I'm prepared to fight you, you monster!" Zel exclaimed, and launched himself at the blind priest.
Xeros, taking note that his plan was going, quite literally, to hell, decided that the best course of action would be to beat a hasty retreat. But just as he reached the doorway, he was thrown back into the chapel by a large man who looked remarkably like a bandit.
"What is the meaning of this?" the man yelled, coming fully into the chapel.
All the residents stared in shock at the man, and then, one by one, they went down on their knees, stating, "Hail Prince Philionel! Ruler of all of Saillune!"
Lina looked up at the man, and exclaimed, "That man's a prince?!"
Amelia turned to look at the Prince. "I had heard that the crown prince of this land that was once known as Saillune had been called away to fight the evil of the lands. There were so many rumors that went around. It was said that he died fighting evil monsters, and another said that he had fallen in love with a beautiful queen of another land, and had stayed because he couldn't marry her, but had wanted to stay near her no matter what. Princes.... uh.....Prince Metallium is his son."
"Son? I have no son," Phil said, and turned completely to face Amelia and Lina, ignoring the fighting chimera and priest for the moment. "Amelia?"
Amelia blinked. "Yes, Your Highness? May I serve you in some way?"
"Amelia! It is you! Oh my dear daughter, how you have grown!" Phil exclaimed, and rushed to embrace Amelia.
Amelia was stunned. "What did you call me? I can't be your daughter! Prince Metallium over there is your only child!"
"I have no son, what are you talking about? When I left Saillune so many years ago, I left a beautiful, healthy daughter named Amelia in the hands of my trusted Count Rezo. I wasn't supposed to be gone this long vanquishing the trolls that had taken to raiding the outer villages. Um, Amelia, why are you dressed as a handmaiden?" Phil asked.
"How can she be your daughter?! She doesn't look like you!" Lina exclaimed, holding Gourry's head in her arms, hiim being to heavy for her to completly lift off the ground. Gourry groaned, and opened his eyes.
"What's going on?" he asked Lina.
"Well, apparantly Prince Philionel has returned and is claiming Amelia as his daughter," Lina explained.
"Prince who?" Gourry asked with a blank look which earned him a clober over his head by an exasperated Lina.
"It's true she doesn't look much like me, but she does look like her mother, and she is my daughter Amelia," Phil declared.
"I see!" Gourry said with an enlightened look on his face. "You left when Amelia was only a small child, and Princess.....er.....Prince....er.....Mr. Metallium over there decided that he would put Amelia into the hands of the servants to take care of while he himself became the new Princess/Prince! He probably reversed his growth in order to convicingly pass as Prince Phil's child, and convinced Count Rezo that he would give him is sight back if he helped. When it came time to marry, he planned to marry me, then kill me, and take the place as the new king!"
Lina and the others, including Rezo and Zelgadiss, stared at Gourry. "Just how did you come up with that theory?!" Lina demanded.
The familar Gourry Look (tm) came down over Gourry's features. "Um, what theory?"
Lina slapped herself on the forehead. "I should have known."
"Villian who thought to take over my kingdom and regulate my dear daughter to a life of servanthood, prepare to pay!" Phil exclaimed, glaring at Xeros.
"Hmmm, this is gonna hurt," the trickster said.
"PACIFIST CRUSH!" Phil yelled, and punched Xeros with all his considerable strength, knocking him into Rezo so hard that the two of them flew through the nearest wall, and out into space.
"DAMN!" Zelgadiss yelled, but was restrained by Filia from going after them.
"Just wait, Zel. They'll land somewhere, and you can go find Rezo," Filia stated.
Zelgadiss sighed, but he knew that Filia was right, and rushing off would serve no purpose other than to proloung the chase. He had waited this long to find a cure, he could wait a few minutes longer.
"So, Amelia, now that you're a princess, what are you going to do?" Lina asked, while Gourry stood in the background, smiling.
"Well, for one thing, I'm not going to marry Gourry! I'm to young!" Amelia laughed.
"Is there anyone that you would consider marrying when you get older?" Gourry asked, happy for his friend.
Amelia didn't immediantly answer. Instead, she glanced at Zelgadiss out of the corner of her eye, and blushed slightly. "Not until I'm much older and used to actually being a princess."
"Well, be sure to come and visit us!" Gourry exclaimed.
"Us?"
"Yeah, Lina and myself!"
"What do you mean, Lina and yourself, jellyfish brains?" Lina demanded.
Gourry turned and the look in his eyes made Lina flush a hot red. "I thought I had lost you once, I'm not going to lose you again, Lina. Will you stay with me? You don't have to marry me, not yet, but I would be happy if you would come back to my farm with me," he said softly.
"I...I...I...I...," Lina said inelagently.
Gourry's face fell a little bit. "I understand if you don't want to, it's your decision," he said sadly.
"YOU JELLYFISH BRAINS!" Lina yelled, and pummeled Gourry a good one. Once she was finished adding several new lumps and bruises, she said, more calmly, "I would love to go back to your farm with you."
Gourry grinned, and grabbed Lina, swinging her in the air above his head, and bringing her back down for a large hug.
Alyson: glare at Xeros One word out of you at this point, and I'll take you appart and turn you into modern art.
Xeros: What did I do?
Van/Lantis/Ferrio/Ranma: snicker
Gourry placed his hand against Lina's cheek, and tipped her face up. With another one of his famous soft smiles, he brought his mouth down to hers, and gave her a gentle kiss. Lina flushed until her face matched the color of her hair. Amelia and the others all aplauded their approval.
Years passed. Gourry and Lina eventually got married. They spent most of their lives living peacefully on the farm, with the occasional wandering in the search of new spells so that they didn't totally die of boredom. Filia returned to the Fire Dragon King's Sanctuary, where she became well known as the inventor of Dragonball. Kinda like our own baseball, except you're using maces as bats, and a certain trickster priest as the ball. It was a very statisfying arrangement for both parties. Amelia took to being a princess like a duck takes to water, and she loved her new father very much. Eventually, Phil stepped down and yielded the throne to his daughter. Zelgadiss eventually tracked down Rezo, and the blind priest changed him back to his original form. Zel then returned to Saillune, where several years later he married Amelia and the two ruled the land fairly and became known as the greatest rulers of Saillune. Eris went to speech therapy to help with her different accents, and she eventually decided that a life on the stage was what she had been looking for all her life. Sylphiel returned to Sairaag, where her father was cured and she eventually met one of those Princes of fairytales. No, not Prince Phil, but a true Prince Charming, who kissed her with the kiss of true love and broke the evil spell of a wicked witch, but that's another story.
Alyson streatched her hands above her head, and grunted when she felt her back crack.
"I heard that all the way over here," Lantis remarked from his perch on Alyson's desk chair.
"I liked your story," Ranma said with a grin.
"Hmmm, Dragonball.... A game where I get to be the ball that's smacked around... I think I'll bring up the possibilities to Filia when she comes by for a visit!" Xeros exclaimed.
"You would, fruitcake," Van remarked.
Ferrio had a distant look in his eyes. "I can see the story as it takes place, except I'm the one that's rescuing my beloved Fuu from the clutches of evil.."
Alyson shook her head. "You guys are hopeless! Now, get out of here so I can finish my homework," she grinned. The guys grumbled a bit, but they dispersed with Ferrio and Xeros going out to hit the town (heaven help the city), and the others retreated to their rooms. Alyson sighed as she turned her attention back to studying the joys of nuclear weaponry and global warming, and tried her best not to fall asleep flat on her face.