The Ebony Flowing
" Sweet, Sweet Slumber"
By: Tamoko Sanjii
Gourry stopped to the sound of song birds chirping a sweet melody in the beautiful vibrant green trees. Not a cloud was in the sky that day, and the temperature was perfect enough for a picnic with close companions. He admired the soft, cool breeze, breathing in deeply to take in its fresh aroma. Gourry's eyes whined to be closed, after being up so long trying to make it back to the Inn. They traveled a long while to get back to town, and he just wanted to have Lina in his arms as he would fall asleep.
Lina...I wish you could be here with me right now.
The swordsman smiled to himself solemnly as he let out a heavy sigh, It had been a year and a half since he met Lina, and the day was still as fresh in his mind as her beautiful face. Ever since that day, they'd been traveling together. They'd been through embarrassing moments, precious moments, hard times, and battles. Thick and thin times, starving and full stomachs...There was so much to remember. Yet, in the end, the only thing he could remember clearly enough, was her smile, wavy soft red hair, soft skin, and eyes...
Oh her eyes...Gourry could stare into her eyes for hours on over. He once described them as " Beautiful, sparkling oceans of mesmerizing crimson ruby, with a tide so great, they grab hold of your soul and pull you deep in, never to be released." A little TOO poetic to be Gourry? You'd be surprised.
Suddenly there was a sudden rush accompanied by a quick sound of energy. There stood Xellos, holding his staff, in the same attire as usual. The manzoku would drop by every now and then, seeing what the group was up to without him. Gourry turned his head slightly and saw the trickster priest...he also recognized that look on his face...
" Why, if it isn't Xellos!" He said, hoping that the purple haired general wasn't there to cause any trouble.
" Hello, Gourry, it's been a long time." Xellos approached Gourry in a rather friendly manner. " Hey!" He held up his hands, " No need to be so tense, I'm not here to stir things up in the peaceful pot!"
" You'd better hope you're not..." Gourry recalled the last time Xellos came for his annual "check-up." He had talked to Lina privately, and everyone had gotten mad at her afterwards. Even until this very day, Gourry still didn't know what he had said to her, but he knew that he was pissed off at him.
" No. In fact, I'm here for that exact opposite reason, Gourry." The look on Xellos' face couldn't be mistaken. The tone of his voice couldn't be mistaken. Xellos was indeed up to something, and as far as Gourry knew, it didn't look so good.
Xellos sauntered passed to man with the long golden hair, on over to the beautifully polished ebony fountain in the middle of the square. He sat down upon the edge, looking up at the top of it, water spilling out gracefully in six different directions.
" Last time I wished on a fountain, a pair of bells fell on my head," He retorted, peering skeptically at the rope with bells attached at the top, that appeared to be floating, " and the weird thing is, is that they fell from no where..." the feeling of the big brass bells came back to his body, causing Xellos to cringe lightly.
" You deserved it, leading us on a wild goose chase like that." Gourry followed him after carefully deciding that all was safe.
" While that may be true, don't you think that it was quite fun?" His eyes opened, revealing his deep violet eyes. " I mean, all of that extra time with Lina. It had to have been absolutely wonderful!" Xellos smiled mischievously as the expression on Gourry's face went from uncertainty to embarrassment.
"...Gourry, did you ever hear about this here fountain...?"
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Lina sighed as she stirred the water of the glorious fountain with her fingertips. Her reflection rippled while she look down upon it gazzingly. Did this fountain really hold the power?
" The dreams of young lovers, Xellos says?" She practically whispered, "Well, whoever they are," While getting up, the young sorceress reached into her change purse and pulled out a familiar silver coin. The coin shone in the sun, bright and very defined. After admiring it, she decided that she'd keep it a while longer, and instead pulled out a gold coin.
Good luck...
Lina paused a moment and smiled to herself just before flipping the coin into the clear water. The fountain was clearly incapable of magic powers, this she knew. But that doesn't stop a person from secretly wondering inside, does it?
I'll go peek in on Gourry for a minute, he's probably sleeping like a big baby by now...
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
In the coolness of the night, Lina walked the halls of the Inn, still in the clothes she had worn earlier. It was about a half an hour after sunset, and everyone was out in the back having a good time. She had told them that she needed some more rest, and went in early.
As she continued down the hall to her room, Gourry stepped out from the stairs, smiling when he saw Lina. Consecutively, Lina's eyes fell upon him, her heart began racing, and a flighty sensation took over her whole body and soul.
" Oiy, Lina!" Gourry's smile seemed more warmer and brighter than normal this night, even with those dark circles under his eyes. He waved and walked up to her," Why are you heading in so soon?" His voice yanked the bones from her legs.
" Uhh...n-ooo...I'm not actually, I...just," Lina shook her head from his gallant blue eyes, touching her hand to the side of her face out of nervousness, " I just need to take a quick nap, really..."
His face instantly lighted up. " Make sure it's a good one, al right? You deserve it."
" Yeah..." She couldn't surpress the big smile any longer. He studied her face carefully for a second, then lightly brushed past, keeping the image of the beautiful sorceress in his head. As soon as the knight left from view, Lina shot into her room rather quickly. The door slammed, and she shoved herself against it, breathing harshly.
" What..." The image of Gourry's face still lingered in her mind...his beautiful, knowing blue eyes, warm smile, golden hair and creamy skin.
" What's happening...?" Lina trembled in a small whisper. And it was then, that slowly, she fell to the ground against the door, unable to grasp this sensation.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
While the silvery moon shone down from it's summer position in the sky, food was eaten, old times were brought back and tears were jerked by laughter. The night was very charming, very lovely indeed. Lina was seated across from Gourry at the table in the back of the Inn, under the canopy. Next to her, was Zelgadis and across from him sat Amelia.
Amelia darted a quick glance to Lina, who was very quietly listening to Gourry's every word. A slight smile rested on her face, and those crimson eyes glistened, taking in the knights presence. The soft glow upon the sorceress's cheeks was unmistakable. Amelia smirked to herself and looked upon the golden haired dunce, as he got up and imitated the whole Maiden's Prayer ordeal.
" Koi ni koi suru, onna no ko ni wa," Gourry masterfully swung his hips around and danced in circles, managing to sing "mabushisugiru no mai daarin!" while laughing hysterically. Zelgadis shrunk back into his chair, lower and lower with every syllable sung. He winked his left eye, stuck out his butt and pointed with an index finger.
" We didn't look THAT dumb you know..." Amelia piped in an annoyed manner. She looked to Lina again, thinking that she would be mortified or at least angry that Gourry would bring up something so...embarrassing. But no. She laughed and shook her head instead while he returned to his seat, sighing with a smirk. They all continued talking quite a while about Phibrizzo and the Lord of Nightmares, each trying desperately to avoid their most embarrassing times the whole while ( All thanks to Gourry.)
" I never want to stop traveling..." Lina said quietly, with a slight tint of rouge trailing over the bridge of her nose.
" With all those adventures we've had, why would ANYONE want to? And think, we've got so many more ahead of us!" Gourry looked around at everyone and finally kept his eyes upon Lina.
As the conversation continued into the night, Amelia grabbed Zel's arms, pulling him up from his seat.
" Well, " she fake yawned, " It's pretty late, and WE need to go into the market early in the morning before it gets too crowded. You know how Mr. Zelgadis hates being around people!" She gave Zel the " follow along" look, which he had caught on to.
" Oh...yes..." he chimed, sounding sarcastic, " you know how I hate people..."
" We'll see you guys in the morning then, nighty night!" Smiling cheerfully, Amelia managed to push the chimera man into the Inn as he muttered underneath his breath. Lina didn't watch them go in, being busy fighting butterflies in her stomach.
Gourry smiled lop sidedly at not being able to figure out exactly what was on her mind. He puts his hands on the arms of the chair and got up, making his way around to Lina's seat.
" Lina..." he seated himself next to her and put an arm around her. He expected to be socked in the jaw. Lina's face flushed with redness, radiating in all directions. She grew warm inside, inside, all over.
" Something has been on your mind all night." His strong arm around her...holding her close...she secretly felt very comfortable whenever Gourry did this.
" ... "
Slowly, he picked his hand up from his lap and brought it up to Lina's bangs. After brushing them out of her face, Gourry saw her eyes to their fullest extent. His smile blew her away once more.
The stars above them glistened from a million miles away. A sweet music filled the atmosphere composed of soft wind and the sweetness of a summer night. Crickets chirped in the long grasses surrounding the area, while fireflies blinked in greens and blues. The silver moon amplified their effects ten fold. Everything was just too good to be true...
" I'm concerned, that's all." He kept his gaze upon her, with his eyes seeming to melt right through the soul whom he adored. Another soft, cool breeze went through, very lightly picking up the loose ends of their hair, and taking it along it's path.
" Lina? Would you be angry with me if I told you that you look absolutely beautiful tonight?" The sorceress ever so lightly smiled at his comment.
" No, Gourry...I wouldn't..." she said in a small voice, shaking her head just as lightly.
" Would you be angry with me if I told you... that..." the knight reached over and placed his soft, large hand on the side of Lina's face, cupping her warm, red cheek. Those blue eyes peered deep down into hers, " that...you're the most beautiful...woman I've ever laid eyes upon..."
" Lina..." Gourry's voice trembled as he spoke more softly. His eyes glistened by the light of the moon, moving with such a motion Lina had never seen before. Purely moving...
" Lina......I've always loved you..." he traced his fingers across her jaw line, and almost crying, Gourry barely whispered, " I love you..."
A moment frozen in time...a very kindred, wholesome moment trapped in Father Time's grasp.
Gourry waited for her reaction, beginning to think that he had made the terrible mistake of revealing his true feelings for her. Tears collected at the corner of those beautiful crimson eyes soon enough, the same ones that darted at a furious pace all across Gourry's warm, familiar face. Lina bit her bottom lip and smiled as a years worth of tears flowed down her cheeks, onto Gourry's hand...
" ... " Lightly, Gourry placed a kiss on Lina's head, then nuzzled the side of his face against her.
" Lina Inverse..." His voice trembled as well. " I love you..." The knight looked up upon the blazing stars, secretly thanking for his dream come true. " I love you." A loud crash suddenly sounded, and Gourry jumped with Lina still in his arms, holding her tight.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Chapter Two: The Ebony Flowing
" Heart, Heart! Listen Carefully!"