Lina's Nocturne
Prologue
Prelude to a Dream
Here's an interesting idea I got for a fic. Can you guess what the idea is?
A/N: I wrote this first chapter quite a long time ago but I'm going to try and finish it now.
"Eight, Nine, Ten...Ready or not here I come," rang out the young voice from in the woods.
The little ball of energy with flame red hair moved from spot to spot looking for her targets. After about five minutes she moved towards a hole and pounced on the unsuspecting boy that was hiding there. "Ouch Lina that hurt," cried the boy as he rubbed his head.
"Well hide better next time Gourry. You're it," the eight year old known as Lina called as the rest of the group came out from their spots.
And, so the game of hide and seek continued with the spot changing hands many times. After a while the group of kids sat down to eat the lunches that their parents had packed them before they went out to play. The easily noticed leader of the group was the red-headed fireball known as Lina Inverse. Lina was spunky and brave with a razor sharp wit for a child of only eight. She was one of the top students at her school and was known as a bully's worst nightmare. Many of the children learned that if you picked on Lina you were asking for a least a quick shot to the jaw. "Haha, This is so much fun," Lina laughed out as she finished a sandwich.
"I don't think so...I'm always it," complained the nine year old that Lina had pounced on earlier.
Gourry Gaberiv shook his head as blonde tresses flowed with the movement. Gourry was nine and in the same class as Lina. The two of them had been friends since first grade and were always playing together. He wasn't the brightest kid on the block but he did well when it came to practicing with the school kendo club. Now, he was only using a kendo stick, but he was still very advanced for his age. "Well it's because you pick the worst places to hide," Lina commented while starting on another sandwich.
"It's alright Gourry I'm sure you'll get better," assured a purple haired girl as she placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Thanks Sylphiel," Gourry smiled at the girl's words of encouragement.
The girl known as Sylphiel blushed as she averted her eyes from the blonde boy. Sylphiel Nas Rada was a quiet girl that was usually spotted with her nose in a book. She was humble, if a little shy, and didn't have many friends other than Lina and Gourry. "Well are we ready to go for another round," asked a young boy with raven black hair and brown eyes.
"Sure let's get going," commented Lina as she looked at the young boy known as Zangulus.
"Remember Gourry you're still it," reminded an aqua haired girl called Martina.
Gourry turned around and began to count as the rest of them took off for cover. Lina ran back into the forest and looked for a spot she thought Gourry would never look. She continued to look while moving on at a decent speed. She was so determined to find the perfect spot that she didn't notice what was in front of her until she ran smack into it. "Ow...," Lina whined as she rubbed her nose.
She looked up to see a rod iron gate in front of her and behind the gate stood a mansion that looked to be at least fifty years old. Lina walked up to the gate and grabbed hold of some of the bars with her small hands. She looked around inside but didn't see any signs of life. To her left, behind the gate, was an old Japanese style storehouse with a big padlock on it. To the right was a well kept lawn with tables and chairs set out for people to use. Behind the terrace there was what looked like a well for drawing up drinking water. After Lina looked at all of the grounds she still saw no sign of life whatsoever. 'Weird place, but Gourry will never look in here, hehe,' Lina thought as she began to try to open the gate. "Hey, what gives," Lina asked as the gate didn't move even after she pushed with all her might.
As Lina was about to give the gate another try she heard a soft and mysterious voice, "What are you doing?"
She looked up to see a man walking towards the gate from the mansion. He was rather tall and covered in head to toe in an ivory outfit. His head was covered by a deep hood and his face was thrown into shadow to the point that Lina couldn't see what he looked like. He stopped right in front of the gate as a wind kicked up and caused his ivory cloak to flutter to the side. Under the cloak was an ivory shirt that was neatly tucked into ivory pants. The pants were held in place by a simple brown belt that matched with the brown shoes he had on his feet. After the wind died down he lowered his head, to get a better look at Lina, and asked in that same mysterious tenor, "What are you doing?"
Lina smiled and said, "I'm playing hide and seek with my friends and thought I would hid in here if it's okay with you Mister."
The man just stood there for a moment before saying, "I'm sorry but you'll have to find somewhere else. I can't or should I say won't allow you in."
"Why not," Lina asked disappointedly while pouting cutely, "I promise I won't break anything if you'll let me hide here."
The man chuckled and said, "I understand you're reasons but I won't let you in...go home and have a full live," he seemed sad for some reason as he continued, "If you show up in front of the gate again then you will be let in."
"What do you mean," Lina asked as the man turned and started walking back towards the mansion.
"Just forget about this place and go home," the man called before opening the door and walking inside.
Lina pouted when she heard, "Lina, Lina your mother's calling you."
Lina sighed and said, "I remember where this is I'll come back tomorrow then he has to let me in," as she ran back towards the voice.
Lina finished washing her hands in the sink before she made her way to the table and sat down. Lina's mother and sister soon came in and sat down to wait on her father. Lina, being impatient, said, "Mommy you'll never guess what I found today while playing hide and seek."
"What did you find Lina dear," her mother asked while she smiled at the child's enthusiasm.
"I was looking for a good place to hide in the forest and I found this big, old looking house in the middle of the place," Lina said as she began to describe the mansion to her mother.
"Lina dear there is no place like that out in the woods. You must of imagined it," her mother answered skeptically.
"Yes there is I saw it," Lina insisted, "I even met the owner of the house."
"What did he look like then," Lina's mother asked.
"He was really tall and wore this really white outfit. He even had a cape with a hood on it...he looked really cool," Lina recounted the mysterious owner of the mansion.
"Did you see his face. That could be any number of wackos out there," Luna said to criticize her younger sister's story.
"He's not crazy. I couldn't see his face because the hood was so low," Lina said somewhat depressed.
"Did the man say anything honey," Lina's mother asked.
"He asked me what I was doing trying to open the gate to the house and I asked him if I could hide in one of his bushes," Lina replied.
"Please don't tell me you messed up that man's garden playing hide and seek...I can only imagine how much work he puts into it from what you described," Lina's mother proclaimed.
Lina pouted and said, "No, he wouldn't let me in. He said weird things like I shouldn't be there and that I should go home and enjoy my life."
Both Lina's mother and Luna looked at each other and then at Lina and asked, "Did he say anything else?"
"He said that he couldn't let me in. Then he also said that even if he could let me in he wouldn't. He then told me to go home again and said if I showed up at the gate again then he could let me in," Lina finished recounting her encounter with the odd man.
"Well if you want to get in then just go back tomorrow," Lina's mother said and winked at Luna to tell her she still thought Lina's imagination was getting away with her.
Luna nodded and then they heard, "I'm home," as both girls ran off yelling, "Daddy," or in Luna's case, "Dad."
The next morning Lina awoke and got dressed as quickly as possible. Today she was on a mission, today she would get inside that mansion. Lina ran down stairs and out the door while yelling, "I'm going out to play. I'll be back later."
Lina ran back to the area where she noticed the mansion but was disappointed to find that it wasn't there. She searched around frantically trying to find what she knew was there yesterday. "What's going on...it's not like you can move a house and all in a night," Lina shouted as she looked in some underbrush.
Lina picked up a large rock and looked under it but didn't find anything. She dove into bush after bush but didn't find anything that she didn't know about...well except that ant hill. "Where in the world did that house go...I wanted to see what was on the inside," Lina pouted as she sat down on a large rock.
'Did I just dream it? No, no it was real...it was all real. I bet that man is a wizard or something and using his power to hide the place so he doesn't have to let me in,' Lina thought as she stood up and turned. She then shouted, "I will make you keep your promise one way or another. You hear that? One day I'll find you."
Lina then hung her shoulder and started walking back home as it was become late in the afternoon. As Lina walked away a wind began to kick up in the forest and if you listened closely you could hear a voice say, "I hope I never have to keep that promise."
Disclaimer: Any characters or ideas from The Slayers do not belong to me. I am not selling this material, just writing for the heck of it as I go.
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