Disclaimer: I don't own Gaav and Lina, so leave me alone!
Chapter I: You may hate me…
*Lina was walking through the woods when it started to rain. Cursing, she set up camp and settled down inside the small tent. Lightning lit up the area briefly and she saw a face she feared. Scrambling back into her bedroll, she hid, trembling, until she thought it was safe to see if he really was out there. Peeking out, she didn't have time to scream as a large hand clamped over her mouth, and she was, roughly, thrown across someone's broad shoulder. Kicking out, she cast a mental fireball and threw it at him only to have him stop, set her down, and unsheathe his sword. She tried to get away, but his hand was clamped around her wrist. "Now listen here, Inverse. You have two choices. You can be killed mercifully and be resurrected or you can be killed slowly.
"Oh, yeah, join a Mazoku Lord and become his servant, or be killed and end up the same. Gee, why don't you shout out that Gaav's going to have a new servant."
He laughed, "because my dear, you'd be my queen."*
Lina's eyes snapped open and she sat up, stiff as a board, as she screamed. Her scream brought Zelgadis, Sylphiel, Gourry, and Amelia into her room. "Lina-san, what's wrong?" Amelia cried, watching as Lina dove back under her covers.
"Lina-san, why did you scream?" Sylphiel asked, concerned. Zelgadis and Gourry just stared in surprise as Lina huddled under her covers. Lina raised her head from the covers, saw Gourry's hair, and shrieked. Amelia glared at the offending males and quietly told them to leave, leaving no room for argument. Zel and Gourry left, grumbling.
"Lina-san, please tell Sylphiel and I what you saw that was so horrible."
Lina shook her head violently, but finally calmed down, realizing that the two women weren't leaving without an answer. "Gaav." Amelia and Sylphiel looked at their friend in surprise. "Gaav told me that I had two choices on how to be killed, after which I would then become his queen."
"But Lina-san, Gaav is dead." The two shrine maidens shared a glance, worried for their friend.
"Well, obviously the two Lords who died almost two years ago when we fought them have been resurrected. I mean, with the death of the Mei-ou and Gaav, the balance was changed dramatically. L-sama must have returned Phibrizzo and Gaav to their status previous to the Kouma War, so that Gaav was still a full Mazoku and Phibrizzo still had his general and priest!"
"Is that possible, Amelia-san?"
"I don't know."
"Okay, you two, would you think that I would have just said it if it wasn't possible. Lord of Nightmares is the creator of this world, obviously she can restore the balance if she feels it's been too tilted in one race's favor."
"Alright Lina-san. What would you suggest we do? We're in the center of the capital of white magic. What else is there?"
"Amelia, come here." When Amelia obliged, Lina yanked her down to her level. "If Xelloss could come and go as he pleased, obviously a Mazoku Lord isn't going to have much trouble is he?"
"Well, but, there's nothing we can do then!"
"Precisely my point. So I think what we need to do is be careful."
"I agree with Lina-san, Amelia-san. Since she is easily the most powerful here, and since she is also a Nightmare Mage, if she says it's possible, most likely it is."
"Alright, well, we have to tell Zel and Gourry then. Sylphiel-san, can you go get Gourry and Zel?"
As Sylphiel left to get them, Amelia stared at her mentor and best friend. They had celebrated a reunion and Gourry and Sylphiel's engagement last night, and she couldn't believe that being together for the first time in almost a year was turning bad again. Zelgadis had returned, convinced of there being no cure, and Amelia had granted him sanctuary. "Lina-san, we'll get through this, don't worry."
There was a knock on the door, and Sylphiel entered with Gourry and Zelgadis. "Alright, this is what's going on guys. Apparently, Lina believes that Gaav is back and I'm having a very hard time refuting that belief since she knows the most about the Lord of Nightmares and her various powers. So our job is to beef up security in the palace and to, if Lina-san doesn't object, post guards outside her doors at all times."
"I don't object. However, I do have another idea. Post guards at the entrance gates as well so that anyone who comes to the city gets checked."
"Alright. That works, just let me speak to my father first about this."
"Um, Amelia? Why don't Gourry and I take first watch outside Lina's door?"
"If you're sure that you're okay with that Zelgadis-san."
"I'm positive."
"Sylphiel?" Amelia waited for an affirmative nod and continued. "Will you please place a high-level protection barrier around her room?"
"Sure, Amelia."
"Zelgadis, Gourry, come with me. We're going to go talk to my father." They started to leave, but Lina's call stopped them. "Can I please go out for an hour? I feel the need to go and get the spell tome that I saw in the magic shop the other day."
"Alright Lina-san, but only for the hour. I want you back ASAP, since you're the target here." As they left, Sylphiel placed the barrier on Lina's room.
Chapter I: You may hate me…
*Lina was walking through the woods when it started to rain. Cursing, she set up camp and settled down inside the small tent. Lightning lit up the area briefly and she saw a face she feared. Scrambling back into her bedroll, she hid, trembling, until she thought it was safe to see if he really was out there. Peeking out, she didn't have time to scream as a large hand clamped over her mouth, and she was, roughly, thrown across someone's broad shoulder. Kicking out, she cast a mental fireball and threw it at him only to have him stop, set her down, and unsheathe his sword. She tried to get away, but his hand was clamped around her wrist. "Now listen here, Inverse. You have two choices. You can be killed mercifully and be resurrected or you can be killed slowly.
"Oh, yeah, join a Mazoku Lord and become his servant, or be killed and end up the same. Gee, why don't you shout out that Gaav's going to have a new servant."
He laughed, "because my dear, you'd be my queen."*
Lina's eyes snapped open and she sat up, stiff as a board, as she screamed. Her scream brought Zelgadis, Sylphiel, Gourry, and Amelia into her room. "Lina-san, what's wrong?" Amelia cried, watching as Lina dove back under her covers.
"Lina-san, why did you scream?" Sylphiel asked, concerned. Zelgadis and Gourry just stared in surprise as Lina huddled under her covers. Lina raised her head from the covers, saw Gourry's hair, and shrieked. Amelia glared at the offending males and quietly told them to leave, leaving no room for argument. Zel and Gourry left, grumbling.
"Lina-san, please tell Sylphiel and I what you saw that was so horrible."
Lina shook her head violently, but finally calmed down, realizing that the two women weren't leaving without an answer. "Gaav." Amelia and Sylphiel looked at their friend in surprise. "Gaav told me that I had two choices on how to be killed, after which I would then become his queen."
"But Lina-san, Gaav is dead." The two shrine maidens shared a glance, worried for their friend.
"Well, obviously the two Lords who died almost two years ago when we fought them have been resurrected. I mean, with the death of the Mei-ou and Gaav, the balance was changed dramatically. L-sama must have returned Phibrizzo and Gaav to their status previous to the Kouma War, so that Gaav was still a full Mazoku and Phibrizzo still had his general and priest!"
"Is that possible, Amelia-san?"
"I don't know."
"Okay, you two, would you think that I would have just said it if it wasn't possible. Lord of Nightmares is the creator of this world, obviously she can restore the balance if she feels it's been too tilted in one race's favor."
"Alright Lina-san. What would you suggest we do? We're in the center of the capital of white magic. What else is there?"
"Amelia, come here." When Amelia obliged, Lina yanked her down to her level. "If Xelloss could come and go as he pleased, obviously a Mazoku Lord isn't going to have much trouble is he?"
"Well, but, there's nothing we can do then!"
"Precisely my point. So I think what we need to do is be careful."
"I agree with Lina-san, Amelia-san. Since she is easily the most powerful here, and since she is also a Nightmare Mage, if she says it's possible, most likely it is."
"Alright, well, we have to tell Zel and Gourry then. Sylphiel-san, can you go get Gourry and Zel?"
As Sylphiel left to get them, Amelia stared at her mentor and best friend. They had celebrated a reunion and Gourry and Sylphiel's engagement last night, and she couldn't believe that being together for the first time in almost a year was turning bad again. Zelgadis had returned, convinced of there being no cure, and Amelia had granted him sanctuary. "Lina-san, we'll get through this, don't worry."
There was a knock on the door, and Sylphiel entered with Gourry and Zelgadis. "Alright, this is what's going on guys. Apparently, Lina believes that Gaav is back and I'm having a very hard time refuting that belief since she knows the most about the Lord of Nightmares and her various powers. So our job is to beef up security in the palace and to, if Lina-san doesn't object, post guards outside her doors at all times."
"I don't object. However, I do have another idea. Post guards at the entrance gates as well so that anyone who comes to the city gets checked."
"Alright. That works, just let me speak to my father first about this."
"Um, Amelia? Why don't Gourry and I take first watch outside Lina's door?"
"If you're sure that you're okay with that Zelgadis-san."
"I'm positive."
"Sylphiel?" Amelia waited for an affirmative nod and continued. "Will you please place a high-level protection barrier around her room?"
"Sure, Amelia."
"Zelgadis, Gourry, come with me. We're going to go talk to my father." They started to leave, but Lina's call stopped them. "Can I please go out for an hour? I feel the need to go and get the spell tome that I saw in the magic shop the other day."
"Alright Lina-san, but only for the hour. I want you back ASAP, since you're the target here." As they left, Sylphiel placed the barrier on Lina's room.