Happy day after Christmas! I hope this cheers you all up from your post-Christmas blues. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own Slayers or claim of any of it's characters. This is all thanks to the wonderful Hajime Kanzaka.
For sora-chan1337
Lina Inverse was her enemy, that's all she knew of the woman.
Sylphiel Nels Lahda stared at the mass copies of the same wanted poster that littered the town. The Shrine Maiden had nearly fainted earlier that day when the woman known as Eris promised a handsome reward for the head of evil sorceress, Lina Inverse, and her mind-controlled swordsman, Gourry Gabriev.
Her green eyes looked over and over again across the oh-so familiar (yet slightly more menacing) face of her Gourry-dear. She could not—would not—believe that he would fall in with such a terrible person. He was, however, ever so trusting and would do anything to help a girl in need. If this Lina was as wicked as Eris had proclaimed, then her Gourry had no chance.
Her gaze then browsed over to the other two people. Zelgadiss Graywords, a man whom she had never heard of, yet he looked like a terrifying person. However, it was the face of the girl-sorcerer sent chills down her spine. She looked angry and wild, like she would jump out of the page at any moment and destroy her town.
Tears formed and threatened to spill over as she began a prayer to the gods to protect Gourry from any harm.
"I see Master Gourry has gotten into a bit of a problem," a kind, familiar voice sounded behind her. Sylphiel quickly wiped away at her tears and turned. "But, doesn't that usually seem to be the case?"
"I suppose you are right, father," Sylphiel smiled. Her father closed the gap between them, placing his large, warm hand onto her shoulder. He smiled back at her before breaking the brief contact and bending down to retrieve a few of the wanted posters.
"They certainly took some liberties with Master Gourry's likeness, didn't they?" he chuckled as he began to lead them back to their home. "Even when fighting, I never saw such a fearsome look grace his face."
"I thought the same," Sylphiel agreed. "That proves that whatever Gourry-dear has gotten into cannot be his own will. The lady who placed the bounty on them even said that the notorious Lina Inverse is the one who is the main criminal. She is a terrible person who brings chaos and is controlling Gourry to do her will."
"This situation is certainly odd. However, we cannot assume what is actually going on based on this information," he mindfully prompted his daughter. They had reached their home and he held the door open for her. She gave him an uncharacteristic glower before entering the house.
"All I know is that dear Gourry could never do this! If anyone is at fault here, it's that sorceress he's with. Just look at her wanted poster."
Her father blinked, taken back by his daughter's sudden suspiciousness. He soon let out a chuckle, knowing that his young daughter was only worried for the man she loved.
"Yes, she too, looks most terrifying," he agreed, looking at the poster of the snarling sorceress. "But, what if like in Master Gourry's case, she also has been taken out of context? I'm sure Master Gourry and this Lina Inverse has their side of the story as well."
Sylphiel gently bite at her lip, looking from the poster she held of her Gourry to the one of the raging witch her father held. She doubted Gourry could ever make such a face, even under the control of another.
Sighing, she looked up to her father. "Yes, you are right. It was wrong of me to judge base on one person's opinion. We need to offer our support to Gourry-dear… no matter the situation."
Her father nodded and smiled. She knew he was proud of having such a mature and tolerant daughter, but she was still a girl that was in love with a boy. She wasn't above having one last blow toward the sorceress that was tarnishing her Gourry's name.
"You know… I also heard that despite looking so young, she is actually a 90-year-old woman."
Her father burst out laughing.
Lina Inverse was not the person she thought she'd be… she was much worse.
Almost two months after the first time Eris had placed the bounty on her dear Gourry, Sylphiel ran into him. She was returning home from purifying within the Shrine of Flare Dragon Ceifeed, a normal ritual for her, when she overheard two women abusing someone. Seeing it as her duty to endorse peaceful solutions within Sairaag, she followed the noise until she spotted a trio of people.
"Pardon me?" The two girls were short and seemed to be younger than her. The man at whose face they were pulling back and forth was no other than—
"Gourry-dear? Is that you?"
Both girls raised their eyebrows as Gourry looked around as if to ask if they knew she was. He finally gave up. "Uh… who are you?"
Sylphiel felt her heart swell with happiness. Only Gourry would ask such a silly question. She ran to him, not caring that he stiffened at her touch.
"It is you!"
"Uh… aren't you…"
"Sylphiel!" she finished for him. "I'm a maiden at the shrine, remember?"
Again, she felt a joy as his eyes seemed to finally recognize her. "Yeah, Sylphiel!"
"I've been so worried about you since I heard about the bounty placed on your head."
"So we were right to sneak in here," a voice interrupted from behind. Sylphiel moved away from Gourry to see the red-headed girl walking toward them. "What have they been saying about us?"
"Us? Then… you must be—!"
The red-haired girl had clasped her hand across her mouth before she could utter the name that had plagued her nightmares recently.
"Yep, the one and only," she winked before releasing Sylphiel. "And since you seem to know of our little problem, you wouldn't happen to have a place where we can talk in private, do you?"
~x~x~x~
Sylphiel watched as her father informed them of all that had been occurring in Sairaag as of late. As he had suspected, their bounties had no merit and were only to draw them to this city. He told them of Eris and her master, Rezo the Red Priest.
However, Sylphiel could not pay much attention, as she had her sights set on her Gourry and the way this Lina Inverse interacted. The small sorceress was brash and rude, just as she had expected. She treated both Gourry and her other companion, Amelia, like children. She chided them and hit them like they were her personal punching bags. Yet, Gourry seemed to take no offense to it. Dare say… he even looked like he was having fun with her.
At one point, she even ran to his defense and the red-haired sorceress just rolled her eyes. She then, once again, had to watch as her dear Gourry ran off with the two other girls to the mansion where Eris was. But, what more could she do? Wasn't a good woman supposed to wait behind, pray to the gods, and welcome home her hero with open arms? That's what was expected of her, right?
"I'm glad to see the rumors of their villainy were not true," her father said after they had departed. Sylphiel was busy chopping vegetables for their late supper and nodded. She felt her father's eyes still on her as she continued with preparations for the stew. "You seem to not have as high of spirits as I thought you would."
"Oh, no," she denied. "I was very happy to see Gourry-dear again, even if it was for a brief time."
"Yes, he is definitely the same as always. His travel companions were also quite interesting. I have the strangest feeling I've seen that girl, Amelia, before. Maybe she comes from a noble family?"
Sylphiel did not answer, but again nodded as she stirred the pot of delicious smelling liquid. She could hear her father hesitate slightly before talking again.
"So… that Lina Inverse wasn't nearly as scary as her wanted poster, right?"
At that Sylphiel felt the need to talk. "She may not have looked like a monster, but did you see the way she treated Gourry? Dear Gourry should be treated with nothing but respect, and that sorceress calls him such belittling names. I have no idea why he would travel with such a person at all."
"Why didn't you ask him?"
"I… didn't get the chance to talk with him much," she sighed. "They had to leave to clear their names, so I felt bad asking him to stay around just to chat with me."
Her father said nothing in response, so Sylphiel went back to cooking. It was then she realized this feeling she had toward Lina Inverse. It wasn't so much dislike as it was jealousy. She was a powerful sorceress and she had the will to travel the world as she pleased. It didn't matter if things turned ugly, she would just take the situation into her own hands and morph it to her liking. Even Gourry-dear seemed drawn to this independent girl and together they got to go on grand adventures.
Jealousy was an ugly emotion to have, especially for a shrine maiden of her status.
"You could have gone with them, dear."
She spun around and looked at her father. He smiled at her, yet it was a sad one… the kind of smile he got whenever he spoke of her mother.
"Oh, I possibly couldn't have!" she repudiated. "I have some studies to finish for the shrine, I had to cook dinner for you, and I have a few items that need to be mended and… really, I would have just slowed them down. They seem to know what they are—"
During her ranting, her father had stood and walked to embrace his daughter.
"You would never slow anyone down. Please, don't ever discredit yourself again," he asked, pulling her closer to him. "I love you so much, Sylphiel. You are not only a great magic user, but you are a great person. Gourry would never object to your help, and I'm sure even the intimidating Lina Inverse would come to see you as a friend."
Sylphiel had to laugh at the last comment. The fiery red-head look as though 'friend' wasn't in her vocabulary. But, she pushed that aside and returned her father's embrace. He was the one constant in her life, and she never felt the need to leave him. Yet, since first hearing of Lina and her lifestyle, a part of her mind would wander to what it would be like to pick up and leave Sairaag.
"You… you wouldn't disapprove?" she asked, pulling away slightly. From the serious look he returned to her, he knew what the deeper meaning to that question was.
"Sylphiel, my dear daughter, you are your own person. Follow what your heart is telling you. I will support you, no matter what happens."
She felt the tears flow from her face as she hugged her father again. "Thank you," she whispered.
He gave her one last squeeze before pulling away. "Since you are your own person now, how about I cut a deal with you? I'll go get your rod and traveling cloak ready, and you finish up that stew for me before you leave? I need at least one more decent meal before I'm left fending for myself."
"Father," she laughed, wiping away her tears. "I'm not leaving you forever, you know."
Lina Inverse was dying, and it was all her fault.
Sylphiel clung to the bleeding body of the red-haired sorceress as the barrier Zelgadiss had created for them took them deeper and deeper into the roots of the Sacred Tree, Flagoon. Her body rushed with adrenaline, dulling the pain that it had endured mentally and physically, and willed into the barrier to take them faster. If Miss Lina was to live, they had to get away from Rezo.
This 'little adventure' had started out so… fun. Yes, it was overwhelming to hear that Rezo the Red Priest was not the kind man Sylphiel grew up believing him to be, but the feeling of being a part of something pushed that fact down. She got to help the group, even if Miss Lina ended up not finding her input very useful. She got to see even a powerful sorceress such as Lina Inverse was not above running away. They went to a sorcerer's guild and learned so much about copies. She even got to have her own adorable Gourry copy… for a while.
However, the fun wasn't to last.
Morning came and Zelgadiss returned with information on the real Rezo's lab in old Sairaag. Sylphiel knew the layout of the ancient ruins, and was to guide them. She did not mind spending more time with the interesting group of people; however, even this adventure could not smother the feeling that she should at least inform her father on her whereabouts.
"Before we go, I must go back home and tell my father," she had stated, expecting an outburst from the younger sorceress.
"We have to watch out for Eris and the others," Lina answered.
"And the city guards," added Zelgadiss.
Sylphiel felt a little intimated, but tried to come up with a way to convince them it was important. Her father may have said she was to become her own person, that didn't give her the right to make him worry.
"We'll go together, when it's dark," Lina smiled in her direction. "Okay, Sylphiel?"
The shrine maiden was shocked at the positive answer. "Right," she answered back.
She had thought, then, that it was a sign of good things to come… however, that idea ended as she watched her father along with half her city destroyed by the crazed copy. And now, another person was about leave her.
"I'm so sorry, Lina," she whispered. "You listened to me not to cast the Giga Slave, and then protected me. I'll never forgive myself if you die."
The protection spell burst, dropping the two girls. Sylphiel held onto Lina and dragged her until they were deep within the ancient temple that lay within Flagoon.
"Just hang on, Miss Lina," she again chanted.
Sylphiel found a flat surface and gently laid Lina down. Taking a deep breath, Sylphiel prepared herself to cast a Resurrection spell… but the magic in her fingers told her there was no one to cast it on.
Lina's face was stark white. Leaning over her chest, Sylphiel heard no heartbeat.
"No!" she cried. Without thinking, her body began to move on its own, pounding on the chest of the sorceress. "Please, Miss Lina! We need you! Gourry needs you! I need you! Please hang on, Lina!"
For what felt like the hundredth time that week, Sylphiel felt tears poured down her face. Lina may not ever call her friend, but she protected her. And how did she thank her for that? By being jealous of her relationship with Gourry. She had interrogated both of them on what they meant to each other. Both had silly reasons, like getting the Sword of Light, or being a Guardian, but she knew they meant more than that to each other.
And when her father died, they both tried their best to console her. These were two people who faced death all the time, yet they felt her pain.
Lina had protected her. Lina was the only one who could defeat copy Rezo and settle the score with her father's murderer. She could not let her die.
"Please, please, please…"
She remembered her father once having to preform cardiopulmonary resuscitation on a townsman who fell into a fountain. As if her father told her what to do, Sylphiel leaned over Lina and breathed into her. She did this several times before going back to rhythmically pumping at the girl's chest.
And then, she felt it. A heartbeat erupted from beneath her hands. It was not strong, but it was there.
"There's still time," she cried, a smile breaking through.
Without wasting another second, Sylphiel raised her hands and began chanting.
"Blessed, humble hand of God,
life and breath of Mother Earth,"
Lina moved her head and let out a groan. Sylphiel felt a great happiness at the slight movement, but did not let it distract her.
As she prayed, images of the past few days flooded her head. Like watching her life go backwards, she saw Lina push her out of the way of copy Rezo's attack. Gourry smiling as he talked about Lina and how she was nothing like Sylphiel. Amelia gallantly proclaiming that she would bring justice to copy Rezo. Zelgadiss giving everything he had against Rezo.
And then, her father, hugging her and saying how proud he was of her.
She would not let him down.
"No more people will die!" she cried before finishing her spell.
"I pray thee come before me,
show your great compassion to this person and deliver them back to us!
Resurrection!"
Lina Inverse was her friend, even if she did not feel the same way toward her.
After everything that had happened, Sylphiel found it funny that she admired the sorceress who seemed to own dear Gourry's heart. Yet Lina had taught her a lot of things about herself. Sylphiel learned to live in the moment, because things don't last forever. And because they don't last forever, you need to appreciate the people in your life. You need to fight for them.
She looked around at the skeletons of what was once her home. Never did she think this would happen, but it did, and she had to accept it. She also had some choices to make.
"Hey, Sylphiel!" a familiar voice called out to her. "We wanted to know if you could whip up some more of that chicken you made earlier."
The shrine maiden giggled. They were so alike; she could see why they were good traveling partners.
"But, Miss Lina, didn't you guys just eat an hour ago?"
"Yeah…" Lina answered. She clasped her hands together as if to plead her case. "But, we're all about to hit the road, and I think it'd be best if you sent us off with full stomachs."
"Ah, you are leaving so soon?"
Lina looked away, almost as if she felt guilty. "Yeah, Prince Phil and Amelia need to get back to Saillune. Gourry and I already agreed to accompany them."
It was sad to hear they were going. What surprised her most is she felt as though she would miss Lina just as much as she would her dear Gourry.
"I understand. Responsibilities, right?"
"I guess you could say that," laughed Lina. "But, I'd say it's more of an investment, you know, for a later date."
Sylphiel didn't really understand at what the younger sorceress was meaning, but she smiled and nodded. "Yes, I must stay here and help rebuild Sairaag. I feel that is what my father would have wanted."
"I'm sorry about losing him," Lina apologized. "I haven't seen my parents in a few years, but I can't imagine never being able to see them ever again."
For the first time since his death, a mention of her father's name didn't bring a tear to her eye. Maybe she was finally accepting that he was gone.
"I'm sure he's proud of us," she smiled at the sorceress. "After all, I'm finally becoming my own person."
Sylphiel walked over to Lina and grabbed her hands. "I want to thank you. You helped me and even listened to me about the Giga Slave. I want you to know you have a friend in me, even if you do not want to extend the same."
Lina's red eyes looked from Sylphiel to their joined hands, back to Sylphiel before raising an eyebrow. "Why would you think that? Of course we're friends, Sylphiel."
Sylphiel blinked. "R-really… oh, I thought that wasn't your style. Even Gourry-dear, you said you only wanted his Sword of Light."
Lina drew back her hands and placed them on her hips. "I'm not that heartless! I even put my beautiful body between you and Rezo. That is as high of an honor any friend of Lina Inverse can receive."
"Yes, again, thank you for that," she mumbled, looking away.
"You can thank me by making me some more food!" Lina winked, starting to walk back to the camp they had set up. "After all, friends help each other, right?"
"Right!" she agreed, jogging to catch up with the red-haired girl.
Lina Inverse was a lot of things to Sylphiel Nels Lahda. An opposite personality, rival, hero… but she was most proud to say she was a friend.
Thank you for reading! I enjoyed doing something that I usually don't do, which is a Sylphiel/Lina friendship idea. We never got to see too much from these two in terms of their relationship, but I think from the few pieces we did get in the TV series showed that they respected each other and were really good friends with each other.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!
Captured Moon