Decisions! The Christmas spirit comes to Seyruun!
A Slayers fic by BGlanders
***
The marketplace was packed with excitement and activity, more so than even your standard marketplace was normally privy to. This fact did not go unnoticed by Lina and Gourry as they attempted to cut a swath through the bustling droves of villagers surrounding them, each one carrying stacks of packages in their arms.
"Say Lina, doesn't this seem…well…crowded?" Gourry asked while dodging a package-laden villager.
"Well this IS a market place, but you're right, this is kinda packed for a Tuesday." Lina was not as lucky as her partner, and found herself slowly being carried away by the tide of consumers that surrounded her. Lina and Gourry had come to this town early that morning in the hope of finding a good Inn (or maybe cajoling Amelia into a stay at the palace) and relaxing for a bit after their two-week stint of sleeping on the road. Her logic had been that they would have no trouble navigating the vast marketplaces of Seyruun this early in the morning.
"Damnit! Why aren't these people in bed?! HEY! Umm…err…"
Lina finally noticed that Gourry was no longer by her side.
"Gourry? Gou… ahh forget it. He probably got distracted by something shiny and wandered off. Anyway, maybe I can make one of these townsfolk tell me what all the commotion is about."
And so, Lina braved the crowds to find the nearest booth, all the while reminding herself of the penalties for fireballing in the market place. Amelia had made several proclamations since her last visit and an incident involving a pesky merchant and a magic pendant.
Meanwhile…
"Hmmm, I wonder what they're all so… excited… about?" Gourry half-swam his way over to a nearby booth to find out what the big deal was, momentarily forgetting Lina as she was swept away by the sea of people. Normally he would have braved the perilous currents to rescue her, but at the moment something… shiny beckoned from the salesman's booth.
It was a sword. Now Gourry was not stupid by any means. Granted, he had a short attention span and didn't follow Lina's magical lectures, but that was because magic wasn't his field of expertise. His logic had always been, "If Lina knows it, then that's good enough for me."
Now weapons on the other hand, Gourry was quite versed in. The articles of warfare and tactics that Gourry had read and studied growing up could easily fill one of the great libraries of Seyruun. It wasn't that Gourry was a great scholar; his family was just very well versed in combat and all that it entailed. Aside from chivalry, everything else was for the most part… overlooked in his schooling. However it was this great knowledge and the fact that his replacement sword was just so…so…plain that the blade before him transfixed his eyes.
The sword was hanging from the eves of the merchant's tent, catching the sunlight on its polished surface as it lazily spun in the slightly chilly morning air. Gourry's eyes traced the fine blade, noting it's finely sharpened edge and well-oiled surface. The booth's merchant, a thin little twig of a man with a shuck of messy brown hair grinned at Gourry and took the sword down for him to examine.
"She's a fine piece of work, if I do say so myself," the little man said, a wisp of an accent Gourry couldn't quite place in the man's words.
Gourry nodded and tested the weight in his hands. The weapon was perfectly balanced, the handle even felt slightly molded to Gourry's grip as he test swung the weapon about, which caused many of the surrounding consumers to yelp in panic and flee.
"Boy, I'll say…" was Gourry's only response as he continued to be transfixed by the sword in his hands. It was the exact same size and weight of the Sword of Light. Granted, the Sword of Light's steel blade hadn't been enchanted or magical by any means, but it was still a high- quality piece of work. This new sword Gourry now held didn't surpass it, but it was by every means it's equal.
"How much?" Gourry heard himself asking. The merchant checked a tag attached to the base of the handle.
"12,000 gold pieces. This price includes a one of a kind, hand crafted leather scabbard, certificate of authenticity signed by the blacksmith, one year's subscription to Popular Warfare, instruction manual and a set of cleaning rags."
Gourry's jaw hit the ground. "12,000?! All I have is 6,000…" Bandit gangs had been rather scarce in the outlying countries of Seyruun, but Lina and Gourry had managed to scrounge up a considerable amount, nonetheless.
"Then you're half way there! I'll tell you what, why don't I set this beauty back for you while you try and gather up the remaining cash. You have till Christmas Eve to come and pick it up, if you're still interested, that is…" The merchant's thin hands hefted the blade out of Gourry's hands, and with an 'oof' he hid the blade underneath his counter.
"Thanks, but… um, when's Christmas Eve?" Gourry asked, a bit of relief showing on his face. Maybe he still had time to find 6,000 gold coins…"
"Why tonight, of course! Where have you been?"
Gourry's heart sank. "On the road. In fact, I've never even heard of Christmas. What exactly is it? Some kind of sale day?"
The merchant shook his head and grinned. "Nope, Christmas is a holiday that originated in the lands beyond the Barrier. It's supposed to symbolize a time of love, togetherness and friendship where everyone exchanges gifts with people who are special to them, but personally I think it's something created by the Merchant's Guild to milk the public for all their worth. Either way the Princess is taken with the idea, and there's no better place for love and friendship than Seyruun!"
The merchant finished his informative spiel with a slight twinkling in his eye. Gourry knew that twinkle well; Lina had it in her eyes whenever great wealth and treasure were discussed. In fact, there was just something altogether… familiar about the stranger standing before him. Something he just couldn't quite place…
"Say, have we met before?" Gourry asked.
"Might have, might have. One never knows in this wide world." The man answered.
After several minutes of Gourry staring at the man and the man smiling back at Gourry, Gourry's brain registered that no, he most likely didn't know this fellow and that yes, now would be a good time to leave, lest he get talked into spending his money on something else.
"Well, thank you very much," Gourry said as he started to leave the booth. While Gourry may not have been versed in all of life's lessons, he knew to avoid the Merchant Gleam ™ when he saw it. With a nod, the Salesman saw him of, and then turned his attention to the other patrons that had gathered to admire his wares.
***
"Thanks mister!" Lina called as she left the sales booth in an attempt to find her traveling companion. While the idea of a holiday surrounding friendship and family was nice, what Lina truly admired was the marketing angle. Every booth she walked by had items listed at three times what they would normally be worth, if not more so. The moneygrubber side of Lina screamed out in bloody protest while the merchant's blood in the petite redhead swooned in admiration. Finally, the logical side of Lina kicked in.
"Wait a second. Why have this Christmas thing in the first place? There's already Heart day and Love day, so why do we need a third feel-good fest? Besides, what's Amelia thinking? This market may be big, but it can't handle this kind of traffic! She's bound to have… have…"
At this point, the feminine side of Lina smashed the other sides of Lina's psyche out of the way and took the wheel. There, not two booths away sat one of the most beautiful necklaces she had ever seen. Now granted, as the Bandit Killer ™ she had seen many fine baubles come and go, and had been privy to quite a magnificent horde or two. That combined with the fact that she was from a long line of merchants and prided herself on her merchant blood lent to the fact that Lina was quite an accomplished appraiser.
It was a ruby. A rather large (but not so large as to be gaudy) ruby, resting on a simple golden, oval-shaped base. Tiny diamonds that glistened like snowflakes encircled it, bringing out its beauty in a striking red and white contrast. Now while Lina had seen bigger and better necklaces in her time, the fact that she was in a marketplace, combined with her feminine side screaming "Ooooooo! Pretty!" heightened her desire for the bauble.
"Can I help you, miss?" Said the salesman, a tiny little twig of a man with a standard 'may-I-help-you' smile plastered on his face.
"How much for this necklace?" Lina asked, her eyes never once leaving the jewelry before her.
Grinning, the salesman took out a small plate of polished silver and held it up to act as a mirror. "Why don't you see how it would look on you first?" The salesman asked.
'Oh he's good,' the merchant side of Lina noted. Hesitantly, Lina nodded and picked up the delicate treasure in her gloved hands, holding it to her throat by a thin gold chain as she admired herself in the mirror.
While Lina wasn't too terribly big on jewelry or on making herself look exceptionally ladylike, she did enjoy a few moments of femininity now and then. This was one of those moments, as she noticed how the gem brought out the red in her hair and eyes. Never mind the fact that it clashed horribly with her standard purple traveling outfit, or that her talismans already acted as a makeshift necklace. No, this wouldn't be something to wear for travel or day-to-day usage. This would be… for special occasions.
"How much?" Lina asked again, snapping out of her jewelry-induced hypnosis. The salesman nodded and removed the mirror.
"For such an exquisite lady such as yourself," Lina allowed herself a small blush "my going price would be… 15,000 gold pieces."
"WHAT?!" Lina shrieked, causing several of the passers by to back away in terror. "Look pal, this necklace is nice, but it's not worth 15,000. I'll give you 3,000 for it. Yeah, that sounds fair…" Lina was already reaching into her purse as the salesman gawked at her.
"3,000?! Forget it! Look lady, I went through a lot of trouble to acquire this necklace and I'm not going to part with it for 3,000. This cost me 9,000 and three bags of ground magical ivory. I can't part with it for anything less than 14,000."
"10,000!"
"13,500!"
"11,500!"
Each paused, looking the other in the eye. Finally both said, "12,000!"
Smiling, the salesman took the necklace and put it in a small box for transport. "Very well miss. This comes complete with a 90 day limited warranty, a %20 percent off coupon for optional settings to be added and a free ticket for one Seyruun palace tour, offer not valid in Atlas City." The salesman rattled off options while Lina dug through her purse. While bandit pickings had been slim, she and Gourry had been lucky enough to find at least 12,000 in the past two weeks! Grinning, Lina counted out what she had on her person…
…And face faulted when she realized that she and Gourry had split their earnings.
"Um, it seems I only have 6,000 gold pieces on me. I don't suppose you could hold that for me, could you? I'm sure my traveling companion would gladly lend me the other 6,000 when I find him."
Smiling, the salesman put the necklace underneath the counter. "I'll tell you what, ma'am. I will hold this for you until Christmas Eve, but after that I have to put it back on the shelf. Gotta sell when the selling's good, you know."
Nodding, Lina thanked the salesman and dove once more into the crowd, determined to find her protector and wring the cash she needed out of him.
***
Gourry had wandered the marketplace for at least 20 minutes before he spotted a blip of fiery red hair moving through the sea of frenzied consumers.
"Oy, Lina!" he called out. Instantly, Lina cast a levitation spell to get above the impossible gauntlet of the marketplace. Upon seeing Gourry, she floated over to greet her friend and traveling companion.
"Hey Gourry. Let's get out of this mess and head over to the Palace. I'm sure Amelia would be thrilled to see us, and if we're lucky we can convince her to feed us!"
Gourry nodded, a rumbling coming from his stomach. At the mention of food, he suddenly remembered that they were supposed to have had breakfast the instant they arrived. Their normal eating schedules thrown off combined with the frenzied state of the market left both warrior and sorceress feeling somewhat exhausted. Nodding, Gourry reached up and took Lina's hand as she carried him over the crowds towards Seyruun palace.
***
As it was Christmas, and as the streets were overflowing with foreigners and strangers alike, Royal security at the palace gates was rather high. Most people who attempted to enter the palace grounds were stopped, searched, searched again and questioned for a good 10 minutes before being allowed to enter.
However, most people couldn't fly.
As Lina and Gourry were considered living legends and heroes to the people of Seyruun, the pair made it inside the palace with minimal trouble. Of course, this was after two-dozen guards surrounded them with sharp, pointy spears upon landing in the Royal courtyard. Once their identities had been confirmed, they were immediately escorted to the main hall, where they were told the Princess would see them shortly.
After 15 seconds, a side door opened and a raven-haired lady poked her head out to survey the scene. Once she saw it was Lina and Gourry, and saw that they weren't in chains or surrounded by the local authorities, she surmised that things were good and that her friends hadn't gotten themselves into trouble. With a cry of, "Miss Lina! Mr. Gourry!" The Princess rushed the pair and enveloped them in a patented love and justice hug.
"Hey there Amelia, how's it going?" Lina greeted her back. Lina and Gourry both grinned upon seeing their old traveling companion and friend in such high spirits. With a group hug and the usual exchange of pleasantries, the three fell into their respective roles as friends once again.
"Oh this is just too perfect! It's as if the spirit of Christmas has caused everyone to realize that this is the time for friends to be together! Now everyone's here!" Amelia squealed, tiny stars forming in her now super-deformed eyes.
Lina and Gourry looked at each other for a moment, then back at the Princess. "Um, Amelia, what exactly do you mean 'everyone'?" Lina asked, a hint of worry in her voice.
Amelia smiled and shook the stars out of her eyes. "Oh! I forgot to tell you! Miss Filia and little Valterra are here too! I invited them for Christmas dinner! I also invited Miss Sylphiel, but she's celebrating with the citizens of Siragg… she sends her regards, though! I would have invited you two, but you don't really have a fixed address…" Amelia trailed off, a hint of forced cheer leaving her eyes for a moment.
"You couldn't get a hold of Zelgadis, could you?" Lina asked.
The Princess paused, a hint of sadness showing in her eyes… but only for a moment. Instantly her happy meter cranked itself back up and she was back to her normal, perky self. "Well, he doesn't have a fixed address either, and chances are he wouldn't have been able to get here from the outer lands anyway."
Before Lina and Gourry could comment, a loud rumbling was heard echoing throughout the main hall. Blushing, Lina and Gourry realized that it was their stomachs reminding them of their reason for coming here in the first place.
With a sage nod Amelia clapped her hands twice, casting Summon Servant (level 3). Instantly a palace page appeared at her side. "Have the kitchen prepare breakfast! Tell them that Lina Inverse and Gourry Gabriev will be dining. They'll know what to do."
"Ma'am!" With a curt bow, the page instantly vanished. Lina was about to ask just how the hell Amelia did that, but then held her tongue. After all, money and power had their own magic all to themselves, and both were readily at Amelia's command.
"Well then, while we're waiting let's go see Miss Filia! I'm sure she'd love to see you both!" Gourry nodded, not quite remembering who Filia was exactly. His memory only went so far as to label the word 'Filia' with 'friend'. Also, if Lina and Amelia didn't seem to be worried then 'Filia' must be someone they were all well acquainted with. A mental checklist started of the people they had journeyed with.
'Hmmm… the purple-haired guy?'
-Nope, that was Xellos. Priest. Ally. Smiled a lot. Very friendly. Mazoku.-
'Priest…that red guy?'
-Nope. Rezo. Priest. Enemy. Tried to kill you. That bad.-
'The tail lady?'
-Tail lady. Mace. Priest. Mace hurt. Hurt bad. Name…Cilia?-
'Close enough.'
Gourry shuddered slightly, and reminded himself not to look under her dress if anything… strange appeared. Smiling, Amelia led the way through her labyrinthian palace, all the while filling her two friends in on her day-to- day life and general goings on.
***
"…That was…incredible." Lina huskily whispered, a thin bead of sweat forming on her brow.
"It sure was… I've never felt so…satisfied." Said Gourry, his eyes closed in contentment.
"I have to agree with Miss Lina and Mr. Gourry, Amelia. Your kitchen staff is incredible! This was the best breakfast I've eaten since my days at the dragon shrine!"
Amelia smiled a thank you, her body too full to move. The table before them was decimated; the mangled remains of charred flesh and baked goods showing the evidence of a mighty battle. Now as a nice post breakfast silence settled over the group, the servants standing off to the side began to survey the wreckage, mentally dreading the mess they would have to shortly clean.
"So Amelia," Lina asked, breaking the silence. "What's the deal with this whole Christmas thing? I mean, isn't Heart day and Love day enough? Why add a third?"
Amelia nodded while absently rolling a crumb across the tablecloth with her finger. "Well, ever since our adventure in the outer lands, Seyruun has been chosen to act as the official representative for the territories inside the barrier. This means that we're first and foremost when it comes to trade negotiations, and from what our scouts have determined there isn't a bigger holiday for trade and consumerism than this Christmas thing."
"Is that the only reason?" Lina eyed the Princess, who unfortunately had partaken of one too many glasses of juice this morning, pushing her sugar levels beyond her norm.
"Well, there's also the fact that it's a holiday of love and togetherness! It symbolizes the bond between good friends and loved ones! That kind of holiday is just PERFECT for Seyruun!" Amelia ended her short speech with one foot on the table and a fist in the air. For a moment, Lina could have sworn she saw crashing waves appear behind the Princess, but shook it off as a trick of the light. Such things were common when an Amelia-powered justice speech was given.
"…I see." Was all Lina could muster out. Seeing that Amelia was still in Justice mode, Lina turned her attention towards Filia. "So Filia, how's life treating you?"
Filia dabbed a bit of porridge off of Val's cheek as he squirmed in protest from his high chair. "Oh things are going well. Gravos is running the shop while we're away, and we've finally established ourselves in the community. Our sales are spectacular for this month!"
"Any word from Xellos?" Gourry asked.
Filia stiffened, and then resumed cleaning up Val. "He stopped by once or twice to annoy me. He even bought one of my vases, knowing that it was my favorite! I would never have sold it, but I was out of the shop at the time and Gravos didn't know. That filthy monster… he does this just to make me mad! Yes he does, oh yes he does…" Filia switched to baby-speak as Val happily started grabbing for her fingers.
Suddenly, Lina remembered something rather important. "Hey Gourry, lend me 6,000 gold coins, will ya? I'll pay you back next week."
Lina already had her purse out when Gourry said, "Sorry Lina, but I can't. Actually, I was going to ask you for 6,000 if you could spare it."
Lina looked at Gourry like he had basilisks coming out of his ears. "You want to borrow from ME? You've already got 6,000 from our bandit raids! What did you do, blow it already?" Lina's angry merchant side once again started to surface. She needed money, Gourry had money, therefore Gourry would give her money. This was just how things worked.
"Sorry Lina, but I need it for something. You know I'd give it to you, but this time I need my money for me. Sorry…" Gourry held his ground, but instinctively started to back away. Lina registered 'challenge' and 'fear' coming from her companion and therefore advanced, just as any good predator would do.
"Look Jellyfish brains, I told you I'd pay you back! What do you think, that I'm a liar? Is that what your trying to say by not helping me out?"
"No! Besides, you've already got 6,000! If you've wasted your share then that's your problem. Besides, this time I need my money for me, and by next week will be too late."
Gourry started to advance, remembering how Lina had scolded him for not showing initiative with money on earlier occasions. 'This must be a test,' his brain concluded. If that was the case, then Gourry Gabriev wasn't about to let Lina down. Besides, she really should have managed her money better.
Lina's mind was taking this in a rather different direction. Several words floated through her brain, such as 'jerk' 'kill' 'stingy' and 'darkness beyond twilight'. However she kept her composure and simply resorted to screaming.
"What's you deal, Gourry? I need help and you go and turn me down, here in my hour of need? What kind of lousy protector are you?"
Now that hurt. "Hey! I'm not the one who can't manage her money! Maybe if you weren't so greedy you wouldn't have spent it all! Besides, I asked you for help and you turned me down, but you don't see me yelling at you about it," Gourry yelled. At this point both Amelia and Filia became very quiet, their eyes fixed on the post breakfast spat taking place.
"So I'm greedy, is that it? You think I'm so bad with cash that I'd come crawling to you? Well fine! I don't need your stupid gold pieces!"
"In that case I don't need yours either!"
"Fine!"
"Fine!!"
"FIREBALL!"
"…"
Not one to lose an argument, Lina finished her side of the debate in her own special way. Still angry, she stormed out of the palace dining room and made a beeline for the gates, determined to raise 6,000 gold before Christmas Eve.
Gourry, after being helped up by Amelia and Filia, apologized for the outburst. Then he headed out to find 6,000 gold and prove to Lina that he didn't need her help after all.
After all was said and done, Amelia was left standing amongst the dirty dishes and charred area from Lina's venting and told Filia, "You know, I would have just lent them the money."
Filia nodded and picked up little Val, who had somehow managed to fall asleep during all the commotion.
***
Time passes as time tends to do, and before long Lina found herself wandering aimlessly through a now less-crowded marketplace. She had tried everything, but local magic shops weren't offering what she needed on trade, and while she had no problem selling her magical acquisitions on her own, Seyruun law stated that all merchants required a sellers license (which Lina had, being a good merchant's daughter) and a designated selling area provided by the Seyruun board of commerce (which she didn't have, as it was Christmas and every vendor within 500 miles had taken every last spot).
Lina was feeling depressed, and not just because she was going to miss out on her necklace. After having cooled down, Lina reflected back on her conversation with Gourry. While she would never admit that she had been in the wrong, she still felt bad about the way she had treated the blonde swordsman. She had been pushy, edgy, called him names and resorted to fireballing him.
Now while this was commonplace, Lina felt badly because of the reason Gourry had held his ground. Only later did she start to remember how she had scolded him for wasting his money and how he should try to keep better tabs on his earnings. Before long she realized that maybe the reason Gourry had refused to help her was because she had told him repeatedly NOT to be so loose with his cash.
"So in other words, I yelled at him for doing what I told him to do." Lina mumbled, her eyes now downcast. "I got mad and hurt him just because I was acting greedy… well… greedy for a good cause, but still… Damnit! I hate when he does this!"
Lina kicked an innocent pebble and silently fumed. Out of everyone she knew, only Gourry could make her feel bad about how she acted. While the logical side of her brain told her this was nonsense and it should be ignored, her feminine side kept mumbling about how it was cute. That, combined with the wave of guilt she was feeling and her defeat concerning raising cash caused her to feel something quite rare for an Inverse; pity.
"Hmm, maybe I can make it up to him somehow, but how...?" Lina's eyes wandered over the various booths of the market until they came to rest on one in particular. There was the skinny, bushy-haired merchant she had seen earlier, and there on his display sat her necklace. Longingly she wandered over to it, her eyes filled with sadness at a good buy being wasted.
"Why hello, Miss! Sorry I had to set this back out but as I said, I could only hold it till Christmas Eve, and that would be tonight! My apologies."
The merchant spoke with a grin plastered on his face. Absently, Lina mumbled a "sokay" and let her eyes drift over the other various items that graced his booth. He had trinkets, gems, toys, swords, dried food, pottery…
Waitaminute.
"Hey, how much for this sword?" Now while Lina wasn't well versed in metallurgy, weapon smithing or the many items of war in general, she had traveled with Gourry long enough to recognize a high quality blade when she saw one. That was something she had always admired about him; even though Gourry may not have been the sharpest blade on the hilt, he could spot a phony deal on a weapon from a mile away. The merchant side of her never failed to be impressed by this.
"Oh now that's a rare find indeed, miss." The salesman brought the sword down for her to admire. Up close Lina could definitely tell that this was a weapon of considerable worth. For a moment Lina was reminded of her old Sword of Light (hers, not Gourry's, despite what he may claim) and how Gourry had been less than thrilled with his standard replacement blade.
"How much?" Lina heard herself asking. Surely it couldn't hurt to ask, could it?
"Well that item in particular is currently on sale. Christmas deal, don't ya know? Tonight only, I'd sell it for…6,000 gold pieces. No more, no less."
6,000…6,000… Lina thought about her treasure, the necklace made seemingly just for her. She thought about how it would look with her in an exquisite red ball gown, and every suitor in the room turning their eyes towards her. 'Who was she?' they would ask, 'Where did such a beauty come from?'. These and a hundred other girlish fantasies flashed across her thoughts before her mind came to rest on Gourry, and how hurt his expression had looked when she accused him of calling her a liar. Gourry, who had simply done what she, had asked him to. In a rare moment of non-Linaness, the petite sorceress looked from the necklace on the table to the sword in her hands.
"I'll take it."
"Very good, ma'am! Now as this is a fine quality blade, I need you to perform a small task for me in order to complete the transaction…"
The salesman stopped as the aforementioned blade found its way to his neck with frightening speed.
"JUST WHAT KIND OF A GIRL DO YOU THINK I AM!?"
Beading sweat, the salesman directed the edge of the blade away with his pinky, all the while still keeping his smile firmly fixed in place.
"Now, now miss! Nothing like that, I assure you! It's just… well… you're Lina Inverse, aren't you?"
Lina, still keeping the blade pointed at the salesman gave a wary nod. "How'd you know who I was?" She cautiously asked.
The salesman let out a light chuckle. "Well, practically everyone in Seyruun knows the name of the sorceress who saved the city multiple times. You're practically a national hero around here! You… you are her, aren't you?"
Lina nodded again, her sense of danger slowly dropping as the pride section of her brain started to creep towards the controls. "Yeah, that's me, the lovely, beautiful, talented sorcerery genius who saved the world many times over. What does that have to do with anything?"
Giving a sigh of relief, the salesman started to rummage through his pockets until he came up with a small, wrinkled envelope.
"Well you see, about a month ago I ran into the most extraordinary fellow in the lands beyond the barrier. We got to talking, and I mentioned I was heading towards Seyruun. He bought a considerable amount of supplies from me and asked if I could deliver this letter for him. It's for the Princess, but security around the castle is so tight that a simple peddler like myself would never be allowed inside, at least not this time of year. If you deliver this letter for me, you can have the sword for 6,000. This is my offer."
Lina looked at the letter and the handwriting on the cover. Something about it was familiar, something she couldn't quite place…
Deciding not to look a gift horse in the mouth, Lina nodded and handed over her entire purse. Grinning, the salesman put the sword in its scabbard and had Lina fill out several forms, then packaged the sword up nice and neat, going so far as to put a shiny bow on the wrapping.
"Thank you for your business, Miss Inverse! Merry Christmas!" The salesman shouted as Lina slowly walked away. While she had wanted that necklace… while she had really, REALLY wanted that necklace, something inside of her told her this was the right thing to do. Cursing to herself, Lina secretly promised to do something mean to someone or something the moment this whole Christmas thing was over.
Maybe dragon slaving a few bandits…
***
Later on that night, Lina, Filia, Valterra and Amelia sat together in front of a roaring fireplace, each sipping something hot called "cider". Valterra had warm milk and some crackers, which he happily crumpled up and scattered across Amelia's nice fuzzy white rug (which Filia apologized profusely for).
Amelia had gone all out for the outer lands holiday, and had even put up some needle-covered monstrosity called a "Christmas Tree" in the corner of the room. Several pounds of tinsel and glitter hung from its sagging branches, and quite a few modified light spells mixed with a permanency amulet attached to the top in the shape of a star had created a nice, fuzzy, multi-colored glow from the protesting pine. All in all everyone in attendance had to admit that it looked rather nice.
After sitting for a few moments in silence, Lina started to wonder what had happened to Gourry. Not hide nor hair of him had been seen since their fight, and Lina was beginning to be concerned. While he may have been a competent swordsman, things could always happen. He might have been ambushed, or jumped, or drugged, or even mauled by frenzied Christmas shoppers.
Before Lina's train of thought could derail into worry, Amelia stood and turned to the small group of friends that had assembled.
"I want to thank you for staying with me this Christmas. Daddy would have liked to have seen you all for this wondrous holiday, but peace talks with Zoana are still going slow, so he couldn't be here tonight. Still, I'm glad I have friends like you to look to." Amelia's warm smile turned to each person in the cozy room, and Lina and Filia matched hers with their own.
"Now, even though Mr. Gourry isn't here yet, let's start with the present exchange. I'd wait, but it looks like little Val won't be able to stay awake for very much longer." Indeed, the young dragon was already growing bored with his crackers and had started curling up into a cute, tiny ball of baby pj's and drool. Smiling, the others nodded their agreement.
Filia started things off. "Well, I didn't really know what to get everyone, so I decided to go with what I know, so… merry Christmas!"
Filia handed both Amelia and Lina a vase-shaped package each.
"Boy, I wonder what it could be?" Lina said. If Filia heard the sarcasm in Lina's voice, she was politely ignoring it. Lina calmly unwrapped her gift while Amelia tore into hers.
"Oh boy! Thank you Miss Filia! This vase will look great in the Royal library! Thank you very much!" At which time, Filia received a strong but loving hug from the tiny Princess.
"Thank you very much, Filia. This was really nice of you." Lina said. Her mouth was in a smile, but her eyes still danced with worry. Where was Gourry? Why the heck wasn't he here yet!?
This of course was when Gourry came bursting in through the main door.
Filia screamed, Amelia and Lina both jumped and baby Val started to cry from being scared out of his near-nap. Instantly three very angry feminine eyes were trained on the blonde swordsman, who shrank away in return.
After a few moments, Gourry shook it off and entered the room. Both Filia and Amelia watched as he locked his gaze with Lina, and she in turn locked gazes with him. After a few moments he finally spoke.
"How are you?"
Lina responded, "Fine. How are you?"
Gourry responded, "Fine."
Several more moments passed, after which Lina and Gourry simultaneously said, "This is for you."
Each blinked, not registering the other's gift for several seconds. Finally Gourry smiled and said, "Thanks Lina. Merry Christmas."
Lina nodded to him, realizing that all had been forgiven. While Gourry may not have been the brightest or most learned man she knew, Lina had to admit he was one of the sweetest.
"Thanks Gourry. Merry Christmas to you, too." Lina softly said… followed by a rather loud "GIMMIE!" and a snatching of Gourry's present to her.
Filia and Amelia exchanged a knowing look as Lina and Gourry opened their presents. Each knew that the couple before them wouldn't have stayed mad for very long, and each was happy to see them make up.
Despite Lina's greed, Gourry managed to get his present open first. Gourry's eyes lit up in surprise as there in his hands rested the very sword he had admired only a day ago. The light from the fireplace glistened off its polished surface, and the girls in the room gave a collective "ooooooooo" as Gourry stood and posed with his new toy…err…weapon. After a few moments of balancing the sword's weight in his hands, he removed his old blade from his belt and attached the new one Lina had given him.
"Thank you, Lina… this is… this is exactly what I wanted. Lina?"
Lina was too shocked to speak. She was too shocked to move. She was too shocked to do anything but stare in wonder at the necklace that rested in her hands. It was the necklace, THE necklace that she had wanted, the one that she had pined for and drooled over and had been so desperate to get that she had hurt Gourry and…
Oh yeah.
As Lina removed her blood talismans and put on Gourry's gift to her, the other girls in the room immediately gathered around her. Amelia and Filia took turns saying things like, "This is so beautiful!" "This complements your eyes so well!" "Wow, that is gorgeous!" And so on. Lina however decided to turn attention to Gourry, who was watching with a worried expression from across the room.
"I didn't know if you'd like it, but the salesman assured me that it would be perfect for you. Do you like it?" Was all he could say.
Lina nodded dumbly, then gave a small squeal of glee as she rushed Gourry and enveloped him in a bear hug. Gourry stood stunned as Lina acted quite un-Lina-like for at least three seconds, after which she simply said, "I love it, Gourry. Thank you."
Gourry nodded dumbly, and proceeded to sit down and have a cup of cider when Lina suddenly grabbed him by the arm.
"Hold it. How did you afford this? The salesman I spoke with told me he would sell this for no less than 12,000 gold pieces. How'd you…did you raise 6,000 gold pieces?"
Gourry shrugged and said, "I didn't. I tried everything I could think of… someone even suggested opening a kissing booth, but every booth permit in the city was taken."
At this, all three ladies blushed.
Gourry continued, "so anyway, I was wandering around, trying to think of a way to say sorry when the salesman I had talked to before called me over. He agreed to sell me this necklace for 6,000 if I delivered a package for him."
"Package? Package…oh yeah! Amelia, this is for you." With that, Lina tossed Amelia the small, slightly rumpled envelope from before.
"Ummm… thanks, Miss Lina." Amelia examined the front of the letter, and then froze. After a few moments, she quietly whispered, "This is Zelgadis's handwriting."
The others perked up at the name of their absent comrade, and Amelia's trembling hands quickly tore the envelope open and fished out the letter buried inside. Silently she read his note to her, and when she finished several tears started to form at the corners of her eyes.
"Are you all right, Miss Amelia?" Filia asked.
Amelia smiled a warm, genuine smile at her friend as several tears glistened down her cheeks. "I'm fine, Miss Filia. Zelgadis just wrote me to say… merry Christmas."
The others smiled at this. As cold and as distant as their friend could seem at times, they all knew that deep down he cared about all of them just as much as they cared about him. With a sniffle, Amelia allowed herself to be wrapped up a hug from her friends.
After a few moments, Gourry cleared his throat. "Um, Miss Filia? This is for you. Merry Christmas…" Gourry handed Filia a box that had been under his arm since his arrival.
"Why thank you, Mr. Gourry." Filia smiled and accepted the present, then tore into the wrapping like a three year old. Upon revealing a small, square box Filia opened it, then paused as she saw the contents.
Slowly, Filia reached into the box and pulled out a beautiful golden vase decorated with the most beautiful dragon sculptures anyone in the room had ever seen. The top and bottom were lined with what Lina recognized as ancient dragon script, while the center was exquisitely etched with what appeared to be a herd of golden dragons in flight. All in all, it was magnificent to behold.
"This… this is my…" Filia stuttered, then noticed a note attached to the side of the vase. Curious, she opened it up to take a look. The note read,
It didn't match my drapes.
Merry Christmas
-Xellos
"Namagomi" Filia muttered, a hint of a smile in her eyes despite the scowl on her face.
At this point, both Lina and Gourry realized something very important.
"Um, Amelia, Filia?" Lina said. "I hate to say this, especially after the nice gifts you gave us Filia…"
"Oh! Here's Mr. Gourry's gift!" Filia said, handing Gourry a conspicuous vase-shaped package.
"Oh boy! What is it?" Gourry asked.
… Lina continued. "And especially after the hospitality you've shown us, Amelia, but I'm afraid that in all the commotion with this morning and trying to find a gift for Gourry, I forgot to get either of you anything."
Gourry paused in mid-unwrap. "I'm sorry too. I was so set on finding something nice for Lina that I forgot to get either of you two anything. Here, I don't deserve this." Gourry tried to give Filia back her vase, but Filia smiled and handed it back to him.
"Mr. Gourry, and you too, Miss Lina, you've both given me everything I could want this Christmas."
Gourry scratched his head. "You mean you wanted a vase?"
Filia sweat dropped, but continued. "You reminded me how lucky I am to have such good friends. Yes I'm happy for the vase, but I'm even happier that I get to spend this time here, with the two of you. Both of you showed me tonight how caring and thoughtful you can be…"
"But we didn't get you anything," Gourry interrupted again. Lina elbowed him lightly to the gut, cleverly using body language to tell him to shut up.
"…I meant with each other. Each of you was so concerned with making the other feel better that you cast aside your own desires in order to apologize. I couldn't be luckier to have the two of you as friends."
Amelia nodded, the letter Lina had given her still clutched tightly in her hand. "You know, ever since Gracia ran away, you've been the closest thing I've had to a sister, Miss Lina, and you've been like a big brother to me, Mr. Gourry. You've taught me a lot about life, and what it means to be a person in my own right. You've shown me how to stand up for what I believe in, and time and time again you've shown me what friendship is. Granted, you and I have had our differences, but you've always been there for me in the end. You're Christmas gift to me is your being here, and sharing this time with me. Thank you both, Miss Lina and Mr. Gourry."
Lina and Gourry both stood silently at this, each trying to think of something to say in kind. Finally, Lina managed to choke back enough tears to say thank you, and everyone hugged yet again.
… And finally, Amelia noticed the one nagging detail about this story.
"Say, how did the dealer you went to know to give you this letter, Miss Lina?"
"Oh, that's easy!" Lina beamed. "He recognized me because of my status as a national hero and asked if I could deliver it for him, seeing as how I'm friends with the Royal family."
Amelia blinked several times. "Okay… but Mr. Gourry, how did the dealer you went to know to give you that package for Miss Filia?"
Gourry paused, the wheels of his brain turning towards an answer.
"I have no clue! He seemed really familiar, though… something about his smile…"
Lina started thinking about the salesman she had spoken with as well. "You know, there was something awfully familiar about how that guy kept grinning at me today…hmmmm…"
After a few moments of had thinking, they decided that it wasn't important, and that they should turn their attention towards more important things, like the giant Christmas goose that the kitchen staff had been preparing all day, and the candied yams, and the stuffing, and the mashed potatoes, and…
And the mysterious merchant was forgotten as a merry feast was shared, and four good friends (and one sleepy baby) shared their first Christmas together happily.
***
Along the streets of Seyruun, shoppers were scurrying frantically. Some were starting fights over hard to find gifts, while others were engaged in shouting matches with the local retailers. Others still were quickly trying to get home in time to wrap and hide the gifts they had so hurriedly bought. It was a scene of mass hysteria.
And in the center of this sat a little merchant's booth where a thin, wispy, brown-haired young man sat quietly sipping a cup of tea. Once he was sure no one was looking, he allowed his body to slowly melt off in exchange for his more… comfortable form.
Wild brown hair melted away to reveal a smooth, shiny, purple bowl cut, and a thin, tattered peddler's garb vanished in favor of a nice, loose-fitting yellow tunic, complete with black cloak.
Smiling, the "merchant" looked around at the chaos and panic that surrounded his booth and gave a contented sigh.
"Declaring a holiday based upon greed and consumerism, causing mass riots over doo-dads and knick-knacks, throwing your entire city into material- based chaos..."
The smiling man grinned, his gaze turning towards the city palace.
"Thank YOU, Miss Amelia, and Merry Christmas!"
And with a shimmering of air, the mysterious merchant vanished from sight.
***
This fic was originally entered in the Two Guy's Christmas Fic contest. After waiting five months for the contest to be over, I got impatient and decided to post it here. ^_^
Lina and Co. belong to Central Park Media
All C&C should go to BGlanders@aol.com
A Slayers fic by BGlanders
***
The marketplace was packed with excitement and activity, more so than even your standard marketplace was normally privy to. This fact did not go unnoticed by Lina and Gourry as they attempted to cut a swath through the bustling droves of villagers surrounding them, each one carrying stacks of packages in their arms.
"Say Lina, doesn't this seem…well…crowded?" Gourry asked while dodging a package-laden villager.
"Well this IS a market place, but you're right, this is kinda packed for a Tuesday." Lina was not as lucky as her partner, and found herself slowly being carried away by the tide of consumers that surrounded her. Lina and Gourry had come to this town early that morning in the hope of finding a good Inn (or maybe cajoling Amelia into a stay at the palace) and relaxing for a bit after their two-week stint of sleeping on the road. Her logic had been that they would have no trouble navigating the vast marketplaces of Seyruun this early in the morning.
"Damnit! Why aren't these people in bed?! HEY! Umm…err…"
Lina finally noticed that Gourry was no longer by her side.
"Gourry? Gou… ahh forget it. He probably got distracted by something shiny and wandered off. Anyway, maybe I can make one of these townsfolk tell me what all the commotion is about."
And so, Lina braved the crowds to find the nearest booth, all the while reminding herself of the penalties for fireballing in the market place. Amelia had made several proclamations since her last visit and an incident involving a pesky merchant and a magic pendant.
Meanwhile…
"Hmmm, I wonder what they're all so… excited… about?" Gourry half-swam his way over to a nearby booth to find out what the big deal was, momentarily forgetting Lina as she was swept away by the sea of people. Normally he would have braved the perilous currents to rescue her, but at the moment something… shiny beckoned from the salesman's booth.
It was a sword. Now Gourry was not stupid by any means. Granted, he had a short attention span and didn't follow Lina's magical lectures, but that was because magic wasn't his field of expertise. His logic had always been, "If Lina knows it, then that's good enough for me."
Now weapons on the other hand, Gourry was quite versed in. The articles of warfare and tactics that Gourry had read and studied growing up could easily fill one of the great libraries of Seyruun. It wasn't that Gourry was a great scholar; his family was just very well versed in combat and all that it entailed. Aside from chivalry, everything else was for the most part… overlooked in his schooling. However it was this great knowledge and the fact that his replacement sword was just so…so…plain that the blade before him transfixed his eyes.
The sword was hanging from the eves of the merchant's tent, catching the sunlight on its polished surface as it lazily spun in the slightly chilly morning air. Gourry's eyes traced the fine blade, noting it's finely sharpened edge and well-oiled surface. The booth's merchant, a thin little twig of a man with a shuck of messy brown hair grinned at Gourry and took the sword down for him to examine.
"She's a fine piece of work, if I do say so myself," the little man said, a wisp of an accent Gourry couldn't quite place in the man's words.
Gourry nodded and tested the weight in his hands. The weapon was perfectly balanced, the handle even felt slightly molded to Gourry's grip as he test swung the weapon about, which caused many of the surrounding consumers to yelp in panic and flee.
"Boy, I'll say…" was Gourry's only response as he continued to be transfixed by the sword in his hands. It was the exact same size and weight of the Sword of Light. Granted, the Sword of Light's steel blade hadn't been enchanted or magical by any means, but it was still a high- quality piece of work. This new sword Gourry now held didn't surpass it, but it was by every means it's equal.
"How much?" Gourry heard himself asking. The merchant checked a tag attached to the base of the handle.
"12,000 gold pieces. This price includes a one of a kind, hand crafted leather scabbard, certificate of authenticity signed by the blacksmith, one year's subscription to Popular Warfare, instruction manual and a set of cleaning rags."
Gourry's jaw hit the ground. "12,000?! All I have is 6,000…" Bandit gangs had been rather scarce in the outlying countries of Seyruun, but Lina and Gourry had managed to scrounge up a considerable amount, nonetheless.
"Then you're half way there! I'll tell you what, why don't I set this beauty back for you while you try and gather up the remaining cash. You have till Christmas Eve to come and pick it up, if you're still interested, that is…" The merchant's thin hands hefted the blade out of Gourry's hands, and with an 'oof' he hid the blade underneath his counter.
"Thanks, but… um, when's Christmas Eve?" Gourry asked, a bit of relief showing on his face. Maybe he still had time to find 6,000 gold coins…"
"Why tonight, of course! Where have you been?"
Gourry's heart sank. "On the road. In fact, I've never even heard of Christmas. What exactly is it? Some kind of sale day?"
The merchant shook his head and grinned. "Nope, Christmas is a holiday that originated in the lands beyond the Barrier. It's supposed to symbolize a time of love, togetherness and friendship where everyone exchanges gifts with people who are special to them, but personally I think it's something created by the Merchant's Guild to milk the public for all their worth. Either way the Princess is taken with the idea, and there's no better place for love and friendship than Seyruun!"
The merchant finished his informative spiel with a slight twinkling in his eye. Gourry knew that twinkle well; Lina had it in her eyes whenever great wealth and treasure were discussed. In fact, there was just something altogether… familiar about the stranger standing before him. Something he just couldn't quite place…
"Say, have we met before?" Gourry asked.
"Might have, might have. One never knows in this wide world." The man answered.
After several minutes of Gourry staring at the man and the man smiling back at Gourry, Gourry's brain registered that no, he most likely didn't know this fellow and that yes, now would be a good time to leave, lest he get talked into spending his money on something else.
"Well, thank you very much," Gourry said as he started to leave the booth. While Gourry may not have been versed in all of life's lessons, he knew to avoid the Merchant Gleam ™ when he saw it. With a nod, the Salesman saw him of, and then turned his attention to the other patrons that had gathered to admire his wares.
***
"Thanks mister!" Lina called as she left the sales booth in an attempt to find her traveling companion. While the idea of a holiday surrounding friendship and family was nice, what Lina truly admired was the marketing angle. Every booth she walked by had items listed at three times what they would normally be worth, if not more so. The moneygrubber side of Lina screamed out in bloody protest while the merchant's blood in the petite redhead swooned in admiration. Finally, the logical side of Lina kicked in.
"Wait a second. Why have this Christmas thing in the first place? There's already Heart day and Love day, so why do we need a third feel-good fest? Besides, what's Amelia thinking? This market may be big, but it can't handle this kind of traffic! She's bound to have… have…"
At this point, the feminine side of Lina smashed the other sides of Lina's psyche out of the way and took the wheel. There, not two booths away sat one of the most beautiful necklaces she had ever seen. Now granted, as the Bandit Killer ™ she had seen many fine baubles come and go, and had been privy to quite a magnificent horde or two. That combined with the fact that she was from a long line of merchants and prided herself on her merchant blood lent to the fact that Lina was quite an accomplished appraiser.
It was a ruby. A rather large (but not so large as to be gaudy) ruby, resting on a simple golden, oval-shaped base. Tiny diamonds that glistened like snowflakes encircled it, bringing out its beauty in a striking red and white contrast. Now while Lina had seen bigger and better necklaces in her time, the fact that she was in a marketplace, combined with her feminine side screaming "Ooooooo! Pretty!" heightened her desire for the bauble.
"Can I help you, miss?" Said the salesman, a tiny little twig of a man with a standard 'may-I-help-you' smile plastered on his face.
"How much for this necklace?" Lina asked, her eyes never once leaving the jewelry before her.
Grinning, the salesman took out a small plate of polished silver and held it up to act as a mirror. "Why don't you see how it would look on you first?" The salesman asked.
'Oh he's good,' the merchant side of Lina noted. Hesitantly, Lina nodded and picked up the delicate treasure in her gloved hands, holding it to her throat by a thin gold chain as she admired herself in the mirror.
While Lina wasn't too terribly big on jewelry or on making herself look exceptionally ladylike, she did enjoy a few moments of femininity now and then. This was one of those moments, as she noticed how the gem brought out the red in her hair and eyes. Never mind the fact that it clashed horribly with her standard purple traveling outfit, or that her talismans already acted as a makeshift necklace. No, this wouldn't be something to wear for travel or day-to-day usage. This would be… for special occasions.
"How much?" Lina asked again, snapping out of her jewelry-induced hypnosis. The salesman nodded and removed the mirror.
"For such an exquisite lady such as yourself," Lina allowed herself a small blush "my going price would be… 15,000 gold pieces."
"WHAT?!" Lina shrieked, causing several of the passers by to back away in terror. "Look pal, this necklace is nice, but it's not worth 15,000. I'll give you 3,000 for it. Yeah, that sounds fair…" Lina was already reaching into her purse as the salesman gawked at her.
"3,000?! Forget it! Look lady, I went through a lot of trouble to acquire this necklace and I'm not going to part with it for 3,000. This cost me 9,000 and three bags of ground magical ivory. I can't part with it for anything less than 14,000."
"10,000!"
"13,500!"
"11,500!"
Each paused, looking the other in the eye. Finally both said, "12,000!"
Smiling, the salesman took the necklace and put it in a small box for transport. "Very well miss. This comes complete with a 90 day limited warranty, a %20 percent off coupon for optional settings to be added and a free ticket for one Seyruun palace tour, offer not valid in Atlas City." The salesman rattled off options while Lina dug through her purse. While bandit pickings had been slim, she and Gourry had been lucky enough to find at least 12,000 in the past two weeks! Grinning, Lina counted out what she had on her person…
…And face faulted when she realized that she and Gourry had split their earnings.
"Um, it seems I only have 6,000 gold pieces on me. I don't suppose you could hold that for me, could you? I'm sure my traveling companion would gladly lend me the other 6,000 when I find him."
Smiling, the salesman put the necklace underneath the counter. "I'll tell you what, ma'am. I will hold this for you until Christmas Eve, but after that I have to put it back on the shelf. Gotta sell when the selling's good, you know."
Nodding, Lina thanked the salesman and dove once more into the crowd, determined to find her protector and wring the cash she needed out of him.
***
Gourry had wandered the marketplace for at least 20 minutes before he spotted a blip of fiery red hair moving through the sea of frenzied consumers.
"Oy, Lina!" he called out. Instantly, Lina cast a levitation spell to get above the impossible gauntlet of the marketplace. Upon seeing Gourry, she floated over to greet her friend and traveling companion.
"Hey Gourry. Let's get out of this mess and head over to the Palace. I'm sure Amelia would be thrilled to see us, and if we're lucky we can convince her to feed us!"
Gourry nodded, a rumbling coming from his stomach. At the mention of food, he suddenly remembered that they were supposed to have had breakfast the instant they arrived. Their normal eating schedules thrown off combined with the frenzied state of the market left both warrior and sorceress feeling somewhat exhausted. Nodding, Gourry reached up and took Lina's hand as she carried him over the crowds towards Seyruun palace.
***
As it was Christmas, and as the streets were overflowing with foreigners and strangers alike, Royal security at the palace gates was rather high. Most people who attempted to enter the palace grounds were stopped, searched, searched again and questioned for a good 10 minutes before being allowed to enter.
However, most people couldn't fly.
As Lina and Gourry were considered living legends and heroes to the people of Seyruun, the pair made it inside the palace with minimal trouble. Of course, this was after two-dozen guards surrounded them with sharp, pointy spears upon landing in the Royal courtyard. Once their identities had been confirmed, they were immediately escorted to the main hall, where they were told the Princess would see them shortly.
After 15 seconds, a side door opened and a raven-haired lady poked her head out to survey the scene. Once she saw it was Lina and Gourry, and saw that they weren't in chains or surrounded by the local authorities, she surmised that things were good and that her friends hadn't gotten themselves into trouble. With a cry of, "Miss Lina! Mr. Gourry!" The Princess rushed the pair and enveloped them in a patented love and justice hug.
"Hey there Amelia, how's it going?" Lina greeted her back. Lina and Gourry both grinned upon seeing their old traveling companion and friend in such high spirits. With a group hug and the usual exchange of pleasantries, the three fell into their respective roles as friends once again.
"Oh this is just too perfect! It's as if the spirit of Christmas has caused everyone to realize that this is the time for friends to be together! Now everyone's here!" Amelia squealed, tiny stars forming in her now super-deformed eyes.
Lina and Gourry looked at each other for a moment, then back at the Princess. "Um, Amelia, what exactly do you mean 'everyone'?" Lina asked, a hint of worry in her voice.
Amelia smiled and shook the stars out of her eyes. "Oh! I forgot to tell you! Miss Filia and little Valterra are here too! I invited them for Christmas dinner! I also invited Miss Sylphiel, but she's celebrating with the citizens of Siragg… she sends her regards, though! I would have invited you two, but you don't really have a fixed address…" Amelia trailed off, a hint of forced cheer leaving her eyes for a moment.
"You couldn't get a hold of Zelgadis, could you?" Lina asked.
The Princess paused, a hint of sadness showing in her eyes… but only for a moment. Instantly her happy meter cranked itself back up and she was back to her normal, perky self. "Well, he doesn't have a fixed address either, and chances are he wouldn't have been able to get here from the outer lands anyway."
Before Lina and Gourry could comment, a loud rumbling was heard echoing throughout the main hall. Blushing, Lina and Gourry realized that it was their stomachs reminding them of their reason for coming here in the first place.
With a sage nod Amelia clapped her hands twice, casting Summon Servant (level 3). Instantly a palace page appeared at her side. "Have the kitchen prepare breakfast! Tell them that Lina Inverse and Gourry Gabriev will be dining. They'll know what to do."
"Ma'am!" With a curt bow, the page instantly vanished. Lina was about to ask just how the hell Amelia did that, but then held her tongue. After all, money and power had their own magic all to themselves, and both were readily at Amelia's command.
"Well then, while we're waiting let's go see Miss Filia! I'm sure she'd love to see you both!" Gourry nodded, not quite remembering who Filia was exactly. His memory only went so far as to label the word 'Filia' with 'friend'. Also, if Lina and Amelia didn't seem to be worried then 'Filia' must be someone they were all well acquainted with. A mental checklist started of the people they had journeyed with.
'Hmmm… the purple-haired guy?'
-Nope, that was Xellos. Priest. Ally. Smiled a lot. Very friendly. Mazoku.-
'Priest…that red guy?'
-Nope. Rezo. Priest. Enemy. Tried to kill you. That bad.-
'The tail lady?'
-Tail lady. Mace. Priest. Mace hurt. Hurt bad. Name…Cilia?-
'Close enough.'
Gourry shuddered slightly, and reminded himself not to look under her dress if anything… strange appeared. Smiling, Amelia led the way through her labyrinthian palace, all the while filling her two friends in on her day-to- day life and general goings on.
***
"…That was…incredible." Lina huskily whispered, a thin bead of sweat forming on her brow.
"It sure was… I've never felt so…satisfied." Said Gourry, his eyes closed in contentment.
"I have to agree with Miss Lina and Mr. Gourry, Amelia. Your kitchen staff is incredible! This was the best breakfast I've eaten since my days at the dragon shrine!"
Amelia smiled a thank you, her body too full to move. The table before them was decimated; the mangled remains of charred flesh and baked goods showing the evidence of a mighty battle. Now as a nice post breakfast silence settled over the group, the servants standing off to the side began to survey the wreckage, mentally dreading the mess they would have to shortly clean.
"So Amelia," Lina asked, breaking the silence. "What's the deal with this whole Christmas thing? I mean, isn't Heart day and Love day enough? Why add a third?"
Amelia nodded while absently rolling a crumb across the tablecloth with her finger. "Well, ever since our adventure in the outer lands, Seyruun has been chosen to act as the official representative for the territories inside the barrier. This means that we're first and foremost when it comes to trade negotiations, and from what our scouts have determined there isn't a bigger holiday for trade and consumerism than this Christmas thing."
"Is that the only reason?" Lina eyed the Princess, who unfortunately had partaken of one too many glasses of juice this morning, pushing her sugar levels beyond her norm.
"Well, there's also the fact that it's a holiday of love and togetherness! It symbolizes the bond between good friends and loved ones! That kind of holiday is just PERFECT for Seyruun!" Amelia ended her short speech with one foot on the table and a fist in the air. For a moment, Lina could have sworn she saw crashing waves appear behind the Princess, but shook it off as a trick of the light. Such things were common when an Amelia-powered justice speech was given.
"…I see." Was all Lina could muster out. Seeing that Amelia was still in Justice mode, Lina turned her attention towards Filia. "So Filia, how's life treating you?"
Filia dabbed a bit of porridge off of Val's cheek as he squirmed in protest from his high chair. "Oh things are going well. Gravos is running the shop while we're away, and we've finally established ourselves in the community. Our sales are spectacular for this month!"
"Any word from Xellos?" Gourry asked.
Filia stiffened, and then resumed cleaning up Val. "He stopped by once or twice to annoy me. He even bought one of my vases, knowing that it was my favorite! I would never have sold it, but I was out of the shop at the time and Gravos didn't know. That filthy monster… he does this just to make me mad! Yes he does, oh yes he does…" Filia switched to baby-speak as Val happily started grabbing for her fingers.
Suddenly, Lina remembered something rather important. "Hey Gourry, lend me 6,000 gold coins, will ya? I'll pay you back next week."
Lina already had her purse out when Gourry said, "Sorry Lina, but I can't. Actually, I was going to ask you for 6,000 if you could spare it."
Lina looked at Gourry like he had basilisks coming out of his ears. "You want to borrow from ME? You've already got 6,000 from our bandit raids! What did you do, blow it already?" Lina's angry merchant side once again started to surface. She needed money, Gourry had money, therefore Gourry would give her money. This was just how things worked.
"Sorry Lina, but I need it for something. You know I'd give it to you, but this time I need my money for me. Sorry…" Gourry held his ground, but instinctively started to back away. Lina registered 'challenge' and 'fear' coming from her companion and therefore advanced, just as any good predator would do.
"Look Jellyfish brains, I told you I'd pay you back! What do you think, that I'm a liar? Is that what your trying to say by not helping me out?"
"No! Besides, you've already got 6,000! If you've wasted your share then that's your problem. Besides, this time I need my money for me, and by next week will be too late."
Gourry started to advance, remembering how Lina had scolded him for not showing initiative with money on earlier occasions. 'This must be a test,' his brain concluded. If that was the case, then Gourry Gabriev wasn't about to let Lina down. Besides, she really should have managed her money better.
Lina's mind was taking this in a rather different direction. Several words floated through her brain, such as 'jerk' 'kill' 'stingy' and 'darkness beyond twilight'. However she kept her composure and simply resorted to screaming.
"What's you deal, Gourry? I need help and you go and turn me down, here in my hour of need? What kind of lousy protector are you?"
Now that hurt. "Hey! I'm not the one who can't manage her money! Maybe if you weren't so greedy you wouldn't have spent it all! Besides, I asked you for help and you turned me down, but you don't see me yelling at you about it," Gourry yelled. At this point both Amelia and Filia became very quiet, their eyes fixed on the post breakfast spat taking place.
"So I'm greedy, is that it? You think I'm so bad with cash that I'd come crawling to you? Well fine! I don't need your stupid gold pieces!"
"In that case I don't need yours either!"
"Fine!"
"Fine!!"
"FIREBALL!"
"…"
Not one to lose an argument, Lina finished her side of the debate in her own special way. Still angry, she stormed out of the palace dining room and made a beeline for the gates, determined to raise 6,000 gold before Christmas Eve.
Gourry, after being helped up by Amelia and Filia, apologized for the outburst. Then he headed out to find 6,000 gold and prove to Lina that he didn't need her help after all.
After all was said and done, Amelia was left standing amongst the dirty dishes and charred area from Lina's venting and told Filia, "You know, I would have just lent them the money."
Filia nodded and picked up little Val, who had somehow managed to fall asleep during all the commotion.
***
Time passes as time tends to do, and before long Lina found herself wandering aimlessly through a now less-crowded marketplace. She had tried everything, but local magic shops weren't offering what she needed on trade, and while she had no problem selling her magical acquisitions on her own, Seyruun law stated that all merchants required a sellers license (which Lina had, being a good merchant's daughter) and a designated selling area provided by the Seyruun board of commerce (which she didn't have, as it was Christmas and every vendor within 500 miles had taken every last spot).
Lina was feeling depressed, and not just because she was going to miss out on her necklace. After having cooled down, Lina reflected back on her conversation with Gourry. While she would never admit that she had been in the wrong, she still felt bad about the way she had treated the blonde swordsman. She had been pushy, edgy, called him names and resorted to fireballing him.
Now while this was commonplace, Lina felt badly because of the reason Gourry had held his ground. Only later did she start to remember how she had scolded him for wasting his money and how he should try to keep better tabs on his earnings. Before long she realized that maybe the reason Gourry had refused to help her was because she had told him repeatedly NOT to be so loose with his cash.
"So in other words, I yelled at him for doing what I told him to do." Lina mumbled, her eyes now downcast. "I got mad and hurt him just because I was acting greedy… well… greedy for a good cause, but still… Damnit! I hate when he does this!"
Lina kicked an innocent pebble and silently fumed. Out of everyone she knew, only Gourry could make her feel bad about how she acted. While the logical side of her brain told her this was nonsense and it should be ignored, her feminine side kept mumbling about how it was cute. That, combined with the wave of guilt she was feeling and her defeat concerning raising cash caused her to feel something quite rare for an Inverse; pity.
"Hmm, maybe I can make it up to him somehow, but how...?" Lina's eyes wandered over the various booths of the market until they came to rest on one in particular. There was the skinny, bushy-haired merchant she had seen earlier, and there on his display sat her necklace. Longingly she wandered over to it, her eyes filled with sadness at a good buy being wasted.
"Why hello, Miss! Sorry I had to set this back out but as I said, I could only hold it till Christmas Eve, and that would be tonight! My apologies."
The merchant spoke with a grin plastered on his face. Absently, Lina mumbled a "sokay" and let her eyes drift over the other various items that graced his booth. He had trinkets, gems, toys, swords, dried food, pottery…
Waitaminute.
"Hey, how much for this sword?" Now while Lina wasn't well versed in metallurgy, weapon smithing or the many items of war in general, she had traveled with Gourry long enough to recognize a high quality blade when she saw one. That was something she had always admired about him; even though Gourry may not have been the sharpest blade on the hilt, he could spot a phony deal on a weapon from a mile away. The merchant side of her never failed to be impressed by this.
"Oh now that's a rare find indeed, miss." The salesman brought the sword down for her to admire. Up close Lina could definitely tell that this was a weapon of considerable worth. For a moment Lina was reminded of her old Sword of Light (hers, not Gourry's, despite what he may claim) and how Gourry had been less than thrilled with his standard replacement blade.
"How much?" Lina heard herself asking. Surely it couldn't hurt to ask, could it?
"Well that item in particular is currently on sale. Christmas deal, don't ya know? Tonight only, I'd sell it for…6,000 gold pieces. No more, no less."
6,000…6,000… Lina thought about her treasure, the necklace made seemingly just for her. She thought about how it would look with her in an exquisite red ball gown, and every suitor in the room turning their eyes towards her. 'Who was she?' they would ask, 'Where did such a beauty come from?'. These and a hundred other girlish fantasies flashed across her thoughts before her mind came to rest on Gourry, and how hurt his expression had looked when she accused him of calling her a liar. Gourry, who had simply done what she, had asked him to. In a rare moment of non-Linaness, the petite sorceress looked from the necklace on the table to the sword in her hands.
"I'll take it."
"Very good, ma'am! Now as this is a fine quality blade, I need you to perform a small task for me in order to complete the transaction…"
The salesman stopped as the aforementioned blade found its way to his neck with frightening speed.
"JUST WHAT KIND OF A GIRL DO YOU THINK I AM!?"
Beading sweat, the salesman directed the edge of the blade away with his pinky, all the while still keeping his smile firmly fixed in place.
"Now, now miss! Nothing like that, I assure you! It's just… well… you're Lina Inverse, aren't you?"
Lina, still keeping the blade pointed at the salesman gave a wary nod. "How'd you know who I was?" She cautiously asked.
The salesman let out a light chuckle. "Well, practically everyone in Seyruun knows the name of the sorceress who saved the city multiple times. You're practically a national hero around here! You… you are her, aren't you?"
Lina nodded again, her sense of danger slowly dropping as the pride section of her brain started to creep towards the controls. "Yeah, that's me, the lovely, beautiful, talented sorcerery genius who saved the world many times over. What does that have to do with anything?"
Giving a sigh of relief, the salesman started to rummage through his pockets until he came up with a small, wrinkled envelope.
"Well you see, about a month ago I ran into the most extraordinary fellow in the lands beyond the barrier. We got to talking, and I mentioned I was heading towards Seyruun. He bought a considerable amount of supplies from me and asked if I could deliver this letter for him. It's for the Princess, but security around the castle is so tight that a simple peddler like myself would never be allowed inside, at least not this time of year. If you deliver this letter for me, you can have the sword for 6,000. This is my offer."
Lina looked at the letter and the handwriting on the cover. Something about it was familiar, something she couldn't quite place…
Deciding not to look a gift horse in the mouth, Lina nodded and handed over her entire purse. Grinning, the salesman put the sword in its scabbard and had Lina fill out several forms, then packaged the sword up nice and neat, going so far as to put a shiny bow on the wrapping.
"Thank you for your business, Miss Inverse! Merry Christmas!" The salesman shouted as Lina slowly walked away. While she had wanted that necklace… while she had really, REALLY wanted that necklace, something inside of her told her this was the right thing to do. Cursing to herself, Lina secretly promised to do something mean to someone or something the moment this whole Christmas thing was over.
Maybe dragon slaving a few bandits…
***
Later on that night, Lina, Filia, Valterra and Amelia sat together in front of a roaring fireplace, each sipping something hot called "cider". Valterra had warm milk and some crackers, which he happily crumpled up and scattered across Amelia's nice fuzzy white rug (which Filia apologized profusely for).
Amelia had gone all out for the outer lands holiday, and had even put up some needle-covered monstrosity called a "Christmas Tree" in the corner of the room. Several pounds of tinsel and glitter hung from its sagging branches, and quite a few modified light spells mixed with a permanency amulet attached to the top in the shape of a star had created a nice, fuzzy, multi-colored glow from the protesting pine. All in all everyone in attendance had to admit that it looked rather nice.
After sitting for a few moments in silence, Lina started to wonder what had happened to Gourry. Not hide nor hair of him had been seen since their fight, and Lina was beginning to be concerned. While he may have been a competent swordsman, things could always happen. He might have been ambushed, or jumped, or drugged, or even mauled by frenzied Christmas shoppers.
Before Lina's train of thought could derail into worry, Amelia stood and turned to the small group of friends that had assembled.
"I want to thank you for staying with me this Christmas. Daddy would have liked to have seen you all for this wondrous holiday, but peace talks with Zoana are still going slow, so he couldn't be here tonight. Still, I'm glad I have friends like you to look to." Amelia's warm smile turned to each person in the cozy room, and Lina and Filia matched hers with their own.
"Now, even though Mr. Gourry isn't here yet, let's start with the present exchange. I'd wait, but it looks like little Val won't be able to stay awake for very much longer." Indeed, the young dragon was already growing bored with his crackers and had started curling up into a cute, tiny ball of baby pj's and drool. Smiling, the others nodded their agreement.
Filia started things off. "Well, I didn't really know what to get everyone, so I decided to go with what I know, so… merry Christmas!"
Filia handed both Amelia and Lina a vase-shaped package each.
"Boy, I wonder what it could be?" Lina said. If Filia heard the sarcasm in Lina's voice, she was politely ignoring it. Lina calmly unwrapped her gift while Amelia tore into hers.
"Oh boy! Thank you Miss Filia! This vase will look great in the Royal library! Thank you very much!" At which time, Filia received a strong but loving hug from the tiny Princess.
"Thank you very much, Filia. This was really nice of you." Lina said. Her mouth was in a smile, but her eyes still danced with worry. Where was Gourry? Why the heck wasn't he here yet!?
This of course was when Gourry came bursting in through the main door.
Filia screamed, Amelia and Lina both jumped and baby Val started to cry from being scared out of his near-nap. Instantly three very angry feminine eyes were trained on the blonde swordsman, who shrank away in return.
After a few moments, Gourry shook it off and entered the room. Both Filia and Amelia watched as he locked his gaze with Lina, and she in turn locked gazes with him. After a few moments he finally spoke.
"How are you?"
Lina responded, "Fine. How are you?"
Gourry responded, "Fine."
Several more moments passed, after which Lina and Gourry simultaneously said, "This is for you."
Each blinked, not registering the other's gift for several seconds. Finally Gourry smiled and said, "Thanks Lina. Merry Christmas."
Lina nodded to him, realizing that all had been forgiven. While Gourry may not have been the brightest or most learned man she knew, Lina had to admit he was one of the sweetest.
"Thanks Gourry. Merry Christmas to you, too." Lina softly said… followed by a rather loud "GIMMIE!" and a snatching of Gourry's present to her.
Filia and Amelia exchanged a knowing look as Lina and Gourry opened their presents. Each knew that the couple before them wouldn't have stayed mad for very long, and each was happy to see them make up.
Despite Lina's greed, Gourry managed to get his present open first. Gourry's eyes lit up in surprise as there in his hands rested the very sword he had admired only a day ago. The light from the fireplace glistened off its polished surface, and the girls in the room gave a collective "ooooooooo" as Gourry stood and posed with his new toy…err…weapon. After a few moments of balancing the sword's weight in his hands, he removed his old blade from his belt and attached the new one Lina had given him.
"Thank you, Lina… this is… this is exactly what I wanted. Lina?"
Lina was too shocked to speak. She was too shocked to move. She was too shocked to do anything but stare in wonder at the necklace that rested in her hands. It was the necklace, THE necklace that she had wanted, the one that she had pined for and drooled over and had been so desperate to get that she had hurt Gourry and…
Oh yeah.
As Lina removed her blood talismans and put on Gourry's gift to her, the other girls in the room immediately gathered around her. Amelia and Filia took turns saying things like, "This is so beautiful!" "This complements your eyes so well!" "Wow, that is gorgeous!" And so on. Lina however decided to turn attention to Gourry, who was watching with a worried expression from across the room.
"I didn't know if you'd like it, but the salesman assured me that it would be perfect for you. Do you like it?" Was all he could say.
Lina nodded dumbly, then gave a small squeal of glee as she rushed Gourry and enveloped him in a bear hug. Gourry stood stunned as Lina acted quite un-Lina-like for at least three seconds, after which she simply said, "I love it, Gourry. Thank you."
Gourry nodded dumbly, and proceeded to sit down and have a cup of cider when Lina suddenly grabbed him by the arm.
"Hold it. How did you afford this? The salesman I spoke with told me he would sell this for no less than 12,000 gold pieces. How'd you…did you raise 6,000 gold pieces?"
Gourry shrugged and said, "I didn't. I tried everything I could think of… someone even suggested opening a kissing booth, but every booth permit in the city was taken."
At this, all three ladies blushed.
Gourry continued, "so anyway, I was wandering around, trying to think of a way to say sorry when the salesman I had talked to before called me over. He agreed to sell me this necklace for 6,000 if I delivered a package for him."
"Package? Package…oh yeah! Amelia, this is for you." With that, Lina tossed Amelia the small, slightly rumpled envelope from before.
"Ummm… thanks, Miss Lina." Amelia examined the front of the letter, and then froze. After a few moments, she quietly whispered, "This is Zelgadis's handwriting."
The others perked up at the name of their absent comrade, and Amelia's trembling hands quickly tore the envelope open and fished out the letter buried inside. Silently she read his note to her, and when she finished several tears started to form at the corners of her eyes.
"Are you all right, Miss Amelia?" Filia asked.
Amelia smiled a warm, genuine smile at her friend as several tears glistened down her cheeks. "I'm fine, Miss Filia. Zelgadis just wrote me to say… merry Christmas."
The others smiled at this. As cold and as distant as their friend could seem at times, they all knew that deep down he cared about all of them just as much as they cared about him. With a sniffle, Amelia allowed herself to be wrapped up a hug from her friends.
After a few moments, Gourry cleared his throat. "Um, Miss Filia? This is for you. Merry Christmas…" Gourry handed Filia a box that had been under his arm since his arrival.
"Why thank you, Mr. Gourry." Filia smiled and accepted the present, then tore into the wrapping like a three year old. Upon revealing a small, square box Filia opened it, then paused as she saw the contents.
Slowly, Filia reached into the box and pulled out a beautiful golden vase decorated with the most beautiful dragon sculptures anyone in the room had ever seen. The top and bottom were lined with what Lina recognized as ancient dragon script, while the center was exquisitely etched with what appeared to be a herd of golden dragons in flight. All in all, it was magnificent to behold.
"This… this is my…" Filia stuttered, then noticed a note attached to the side of the vase. Curious, she opened it up to take a look. The note read,
It didn't match my drapes.
Merry Christmas
-Xellos
"Namagomi" Filia muttered, a hint of a smile in her eyes despite the scowl on her face.
At this point, both Lina and Gourry realized something very important.
"Um, Amelia, Filia?" Lina said. "I hate to say this, especially after the nice gifts you gave us Filia…"
"Oh! Here's Mr. Gourry's gift!" Filia said, handing Gourry a conspicuous vase-shaped package.
"Oh boy! What is it?" Gourry asked.
… Lina continued. "And especially after the hospitality you've shown us, Amelia, but I'm afraid that in all the commotion with this morning and trying to find a gift for Gourry, I forgot to get either of you anything."
Gourry paused in mid-unwrap. "I'm sorry too. I was so set on finding something nice for Lina that I forgot to get either of you two anything. Here, I don't deserve this." Gourry tried to give Filia back her vase, but Filia smiled and handed it back to him.
"Mr. Gourry, and you too, Miss Lina, you've both given me everything I could want this Christmas."
Gourry scratched his head. "You mean you wanted a vase?"
Filia sweat dropped, but continued. "You reminded me how lucky I am to have such good friends. Yes I'm happy for the vase, but I'm even happier that I get to spend this time here, with the two of you. Both of you showed me tonight how caring and thoughtful you can be…"
"But we didn't get you anything," Gourry interrupted again. Lina elbowed him lightly to the gut, cleverly using body language to tell him to shut up.
"…I meant with each other. Each of you was so concerned with making the other feel better that you cast aside your own desires in order to apologize. I couldn't be luckier to have the two of you as friends."
Amelia nodded, the letter Lina had given her still clutched tightly in her hand. "You know, ever since Gracia ran away, you've been the closest thing I've had to a sister, Miss Lina, and you've been like a big brother to me, Mr. Gourry. You've taught me a lot about life, and what it means to be a person in my own right. You've shown me how to stand up for what I believe in, and time and time again you've shown me what friendship is. Granted, you and I have had our differences, but you've always been there for me in the end. You're Christmas gift to me is your being here, and sharing this time with me. Thank you both, Miss Lina and Mr. Gourry."
Lina and Gourry both stood silently at this, each trying to think of something to say in kind. Finally, Lina managed to choke back enough tears to say thank you, and everyone hugged yet again.
… And finally, Amelia noticed the one nagging detail about this story.
"Say, how did the dealer you went to know to give you this letter, Miss Lina?"
"Oh, that's easy!" Lina beamed. "He recognized me because of my status as a national hero and asked if I could deliver it for him, seeing as how I'm friends with the Royal family."
Amelia blinked several times. "Okay… but Mr. Gourry, how did the dealer you went to know to give you that package for Miss Filia?"
Gourry paused, the wheels of his brain turning towards an answer.
"I have no clue! He seemed really familiar, though… something about his smile…"
Lina started thinking about the salesman she had spoken with as well. "You know, there was something awfully familiar about how that guy kept grinning at me today…hmmmm…"
After a few moments of had thinking, they decided that it wasn't important, and that they should turn their attention towards more important things, like the giant Christmas goose that the kitchen staff had been preparing all day, and the candied yams, and the stuffing, and the mashed potatoes, and…
And the mysterious merchant was forgotten as a merry feast was shared, and four good friends (and one sleepy baby) shared their first Christmas together happily.
***
Along the streets of Seyruun, shoppers were scurrying frantically. Some were starting fights over hard to find gifts, while others were engaged in shouting matches with the local retailers. Others still were quickly trying to get home in time to wrap and hide the gifts they had so hurriedly bought. It was a scene of mass hysteria.
And in the center of this sat a little merchant's booth where a thin, wispy, brown-haired young man sat quietly sipping a cup of tea. Once he was sure no one was looking, he allowed his body to slowly melt off in exchange for his more… comfortable form.
Wild brown hair melted away to reveal a smooth, shiny, purple bowl cut, and a thin, tattered peddler's garb vanished in favor of a nice, loose-fitting yellow tunic, complete with black cloak.
Smiling, the "merchant" looked around at the chaos and panic that surrounded his booth and gave a contented sigh.
"Declaring a holiday based upon greed and consumerism, causing mass riots over doo-dads and knick-knacks, throwing your entire city into material- based chaos..."
The smiling man grinned, his gaze turning towards the city palace.
"Thank YOU, Miss Amelia, and Merry Christmas!"
And with a shimmering of air, the mysterious merchant vanished from sight.
***
This fic was originally entered in the Two Guy's Christmas Fic contest. After waiting five months for the contest to be over, I got impatient and decided to post it here. ^_^
Lina and Co. belong to Central Park Media
All C&C should go to BGlanders@aol.com